Q & A for Peter Straub and an Air Rifle

Mr. Aikman's Air Rifle is a cool story. I liked the mini-chapters and the way it is set up time-wise. The details are vivid. I could easily picture this swanky hospital where only the favored few can stay and the "guests" really come alive. I also liked Bill and the revelation of how all the characters are related. But here is where my questions begin.

First, this story really made me think about how many connections people can have to one another, sometimes without even knowing it. This then made me think about the collective memory of humans which, I think, plays a large part in this story. They all think they share this common memory which turns out to be Chippie Traynor's fake memory in his book. So, what is this implying? Okay, next, is this story an afterlife story? Are they in hell? Purgatory? Is Chippie haunting them? Finally, when will you be doing a reading at the University of Alabama?

Thanks for answering our questions!