Donald Barthelemy (1931–1989) is one of the largest (along with Pynchon, Barth and Dunleavy) representatives of the American “school of black humor.” An unsurpassed master of the short form, Barthelemy takes a new look at the creative process, refuting many traditional ideas. For this, one of the final collections, the author himself in 1982 selected the best, in his opinion, works over 20 years.