The main characters of "Where Desert Spirits Crowd the Night" are Sophie Etoile and Coyote, supported by Max and the flute-playing Kokopelli. The early interaction between Sophie and Max says much about both of them and helps lay down expectations for Sophie's behavior in the rest of "Where Desert Spirits Crowd the Night." Max has lost his lover and Sophie offers him a painting, explaining, after he demurs, "Look . . . What would be the point of being an artist if you only did it for the money? I always feel weird about selling my work anyway. It's as though I'm selling off my children. I don't even know what kind of a home they're going to—there's no evaluation process beforehand." Some of Sophie's compassion can be seen in this passage, but ever prevalent is the passion she expresses about her art and her...