A friend of mine sent me this:
Came across this quote, which seems relevant to the Gift of Screws cover art:
"Now, I am a Catholic, and my Church teaches that 'despair' is a sin (since it involves the abandonment of hope in eternity). So I opt instead for 'desolation,' which is not a sin, merely a psycholigcal response to everything around one being in an advanced state of disintegration."