It was a silent night, but it was far from holy. Ink-black sky stretched above, untouched by stars. Winter clung to the air, sharp and...

I leaned against my father’s truck, breathing in the humid city air. I didn’t live in this part of town. It was too rich for my blood....

My cousin Bill never learned to ride a bike or throw a rock or drive a car or drop a cannon ball into a lake. Instead he was strapped in...