I had three paragraphs written for Harrison Kim’s Crisis Line, but I discovered that I had nothing to say on the topic that Kim didn’t say better. So, the good news is that I am smart enough to have realized that, and the better news is that Mr. Kim is around to answer my questions.
Q: When did the idea of using a damaged protagonist to tell the story come to mind? The choice is extremely effective.
Q: This story is honest, it doesn’t shine people on that everything can always be made all right. Do you believe that the fifteen minute window is inescapable?
***
Harisson’s responses:
Q: When did the idea of using a damaged protagonist to tell the story come to mind? The choice is extremely effective.
A) I didn’t have an idea for a protagonist type. The story is basically autobiographical. Time sequences and characters were altered, and names changed.
Q: This story is honest, it doesn’t shine people on that everything can always be made all right. Do you believe that the fifteen minute window is inescapable?
B) A person can escape that fifteen-minute suicide window if either they reach out to someone by calling a crisis line or a friend, or if someone just happens to come onto the scene. Of course, that doesn’t mean another fifteen minute window won’t pop up eventually. The underlying issues remain, and those are hard to deal with, depending on their severity, esp. when a person is dealing with serious depression mixed with paranoia and delusions that distort and alter reality. When a person comes out of this state and looks back, it feels like emerging from a nightmare into the waking world again.
literally stories 
My thanks to Harrison for his replies. Although I believe from my own experience that the waking world is mostly a source of pain, it is good to see people who try to do something about it.
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A very believable and moving portrayal of grief and mental illness and the volatility that occurs when the two intersect. Small but expert touches, such as the MC’s cleaning binge after his wife’s suicide, have a big impact. “When you belong to the floor, you know its hardness very well.” Great line. Excellent story.
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Hi Leila,
My usual plaudits to you.
Harrison – It’s always a pleasure to see your work get another day in the sun.
And very interesting answers!
Hugh
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