Our youngest uncle, Billy, was not old enough to join in their didoes. One of their more flamboyant escapades has become a proud family legend.

The “choices” that children may seem to make when left alone with a roomful of toys can be realized as nonchoices in light of how much gender scripting they have, at remarkably early ages, already absorbed.

Ray eventually called at 7pm and took the school’s side. He sounded imperious and distant and made me even angrier. I told him he sounded just like my father, and put the phone down on him.

With windlasses and with assays of bias, / By indirections find directions out.