Dispatch from Inside the Shell

Our household has taken on two new members. They are crime victims, of a sort, and we have been asked by Doug, a neighbor of ours who works for the state, to shelter them while the investigation proceeds.

"Maybe the lawyer will want to see them," he said. "I'm not sure."

Rage Vacation

Among the various traditions Petra, the children, and I have settled into over the years is a charming one in which, on vacations and family trips, I lose my temper, transform into a spiteful monster, and rage at the children. It is one of the crosses I bear that what I once expected to be my fond memories of exploring the world with my children are shot through with snapshots of these dark moments.