(Click on the title to view the whole piece)
 

The Man in the Photograph
 
I am the son of a man who used alcohol to assume a personality that he lacked--or believed he lacked. It should therefore not have come as a surprise to me that I ape him emotionally as well as in front of the camera.
 
Venantius

 

Losing My Religion
 
My weather forecast was way off; a churning sky looked ugly and angry. As raven-hued cloud-mass cracked open and hailed, I ducked inside a church. Instantly, every eye was on me. The pews were white; the members were not.
 
Lyn Fox

 

Big Dogs and Asian Butts
 
It appeared, however, that Stacey didn't subscribe to the bloom-where-you-are-planted school of thought. I guess she performed the basic functions of her job, whatever they were. But doing the minimum left hours of free time in her workday--hours she felt could best be spent talking to her co-workers.
 
Nancy Matson