I couldn't work out while writing it why I'd woken up with Douglas in my head, or the need to get the memories down on paper, although I was pleased I had, and I knew MJ Simpson's publisher would be relieved. And then I finished it and e-mailed it off to MJ Simpson. Perhaps it's just that it's almost exactly two years since Douglas died -- I just reread what I wrote on the American Gods journal at http://www.neilgaiman.com/archive/2001_05_01_archive.asp May 12th 2001: He was immensely kind and generous, with his time and his material, to a young journalist, over 15 years ago; and watching how he, and how Alan Moore (who I met around the same time), treated their fans and other people � graciously, kindly and generously � taught that young journalist an awful lot about how famous authors ought to behave. And how most of them don�t.
And it's still true.
One of the things I like about Bologna is that I'm typing this in a peaceful hotel room, in the centre of the town, listening to accordion music coming up from the street. Steve Brust maintains that accordion players are only in it for the big money, the fast cars and the women, but I think some of them are in it for the music as well.