Here’s a true story.
Nacho is an illegal immigrant–a squat forty year-old with a buzzed head, neat mustache and gold fillings. He works six days a week in a restaurant–a dishwasher during the week, and a line cook on the weekend. He is paid in cash. The last time he went home to see his wife […]

The first words he spoke were, “I’m dying.” Said with such unfitting nonchalance that I wasn’t sure if I had even heard it. After I offered to buy him some tea he calmly asked, “Can I tell you something I truly believe?” I nodded and he said again, “I’m dying.” I tried to gauge him–what […]

Last Friday I hitchhiked from Madison to Minneapolis. I have too many stories, too many reflections to offer all at once. For now, here is a sketch of the first person to pick me up.

Mark is tough. He knows this. He grew up white in the Boston projects where he “learned a healthy respect for […]