Monthly Archives: August 2015

This is my clan, the Benskins, the kin of Ben, some forgotten Scotsman whose wandering descendants wound up a hundred years later in Texas. It’s Christmas, 1956, at my grandparents’ house, a year after my parents’ split. I’m down front … Continue reading →

What’s past is prologue. The Tempest, Act 2, Scene 1, by William Shakespeare There’s something captivating about a school choir, beyond the simple appeal of children together, singing. In a town the size of Texas City, a choir delivers a kind … Continue reading →

Wonder passes through each season, even on the Gulf coast of Texas, where the changes are subtle, a gradual dimming of the heat, birds in V-formation going home, sometimes the brighter leaves on the tips of ligustrum bushes. A year … Continue reading →

“Ah. The Bruskins. See you on Sunday, Sweetie.” Aunt Venita flicked her gold-bangled wrist, rolled up the car window and sped away. I was walking home from Danise’s when she happened to drive by, in a hurry as always, but … Continue reading →