He slept with a volume of Jorge Luis Borges’s short stories beneath his pillow, convinced they influenced his dreams. He’d wander through labyrinthine libraries, walls of books guiding him to some unknown destination.

Eventually he’d find his way back to his bed and awake the following morning, exhausted but satisfied.

Ran Walker is the author of 24 books, including the 100-word story collection Keep It 100. He teaches creative writing at Hampton University in Virginia.