chicago

____"You ever been arrested before?"____"No sir. This is my first time."____"The first time this week, you mean."____"Oh, I been arrested in Michigan. I thought you meant in Illinois. I never been arrested in Illinois. I never did no wrong in Illinois."____"What good does that do you?"____"It don't. It's just that I love my state so much I go to Michigan to steal," he explained with an expression almost beatific.

His lips so soft, yet so stern, he pressed his mouth to mine. "I will have both of you," he said. "My Sentinel and my city. And the GP will learn exactly how stubborn we both can be.

The stars glittered in the sky and as the number of people at the party grew there were merging conversations and laughter and bodies moving in outlines around the kegs of beer in a curtsy of youth.

But we [writers] are crucial. That is what I hope you have learned. We listen for and collect and share stories. Without stories there is no nation and no religion and no culture. Without stories of bone and substance and comedy there is only a river of lies, and sweet and delicious ones they are, too. We are the gatherers, the shepherds, the farmers of stories. We wander widely and look for them and gather them and harvest them and share them as food. It is a craft as necessary and nutritious as any other, and if you are going to be good at it you must double your humility and triple your curiosity and quadruple your ability to listen.

This is so funny,_ said Ellen, noticing the seating arrangement. __sn__ this funny? Tom, come sit next to Robin. Griffin, sit next to Laura._ I stood up and sat next to Robin while Griffin brought his chair over to Laura. __hat__ better,_ said Ellen. __sn__ that better?

Chicago has so much excellent architecture that they feel obliged to tear some of it down now and then and erect terrible buildings just to help us all appreciate the good stuff.

I__e officially turned into a loser,_ she whispered cynically. ____ looking forward to going home and having cereal for dinner and walking Mitchell and studying a little and then going to sleep. I__e had my __oing out and having fun_ quota for the year, I guess, and it__ June.

I don__ think I__e ever referred to any girl I dated as my girlfriend. I think that would freak me out. Even the girl that I dated for two years in college I don__ think I ever referred to her as my girlfriend.___ow would you introduce her?_ I asked.____ just going to say her name,_ he said.

I had thought Chicago was inevitable, like diarrhea.