I was weirdly touched by both stories here, I think because I had no idea what to expect and because I learned so much about King from [b:On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft|10569|On Writing A Memoir of the Craft|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436735207i/10569.SY75.jpg|150292]. I think it's evident from his fiction work and his memoir that he's gone through many dark periods, but he isn't about having them.

On the primary story, Elevation: I understand finding the characters a little thin here, but I also felt like I could mostly round them out well enough in my imagination (except for Missy, oddly). I also felt like the mentions of Trump as a means of gesturing to the town's conservative nature detracted from the place, because that isn't necessary for a small town to be homophobic and broadly suspicious of outsiders, and it situates the protagonist's motivations in opposition to something needlessly.

That said: There are so many lovely little details, like the particular details of his affection for his cat; his interactions with other runners; his casual acknowledgment of how helpful it would be to send the money from his work to his ex-wife. Maybe it boils down to my identification with Carey, and being in his mind as he deals with his inexplicable condition. I believed entirely in King's portrait of Scott Carey, and it was nice to be credulous for a bit.

This and the second story, an admittedly tidy vignette, feel true to what I imagine King is thinking about lately, and the combination of those factors introduced a welcome tenderness today.