Life in a Palestinian refugee camp is filled with poverty, and hopeless frustration at the best of times-and 2001 is far from the best of times. Muhammad, already scarred by violence and tragedy, is plunged into depression when the frequent curfews make it impossible for him to find work. He can no longer face the thought of crossing the military checkpoint, but all available jobs are on the other side. His inability to provide for his family drives him to despair. He decides to spend the only coin remaining to him-his life.

SHORT & HAPPY (or Not) brings together authors from English speaking countries around the globe and a sprinkling of ex-pats who enjoy life in non-English speaking countries as well. Their stories cover just as wide a spectrum of subjects. Humor (or humour), light romance, science fiction, fantasy, memoir, satire, reflection, exotic locales ... it's all here in bite-sized pieces.

Saints and heathens might be flip sides of the same coin. Perhaps it depends on your perspective. Can you tell which is which? This collection of stories will make you wonder where black turns to gray and gray slides into white. The demarcation between saint and heathen may not be as clear cut as you imagine. Stories of good and evil from the distant past or distant galaxies blend with tales from right around the corner. Mythology, fantasy, humor, history, and might-have-been are side-by-side in as stark a contrast as that of good and evil itself. Bite sized chunks of pure entertainment.