In her head, Alex is the bad-ass survivor in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. In her head, she is a period-costumed drop dead gorgeous musical prodigy. In reality, Alex works at a jewelry store to pay the bills, is married to a diabetic cat, and averages 89.3 rejections a year as an unpublished writer. Something needs to change. Following September 11th, Alex rebuilds her image of herself, telling her story via the three things that affect her most: her written work, her friendships, and her overactive imagination.—Z. Stage