Brother Joel: “As a future scientist he was intent on experimenting with anything state-of-the-art. This included, as he entered his twenties, the brave new world of psycho-pharmaceuticals. He had pills for going up and coming down. No need for alarm clocks. He was up in four hours when his pill wore off. Coffee existed only to down his breakfast amphetamines. Just a handful of pills and he could be ready for anything. Science trumping nature.”

Beauty Queen Clarissa: “Her only other discernible talent was that she could recall exactly what she wore on any given date. Sadly, both her outfits and the dates are largely unmemorable, beige being her favorite color.”

“If there’s anything more scary than Mother in a rage, it’s Mother cajoling. Like an alligator singing a lullaby.”

…beneath his stoic WASP reserve lay a warm and fuzzy core of cowardice. At heart, Daddy was not keen to fly his kite in a gale.”

The Brother-in-Law: “...a third-class family member, upon whose person and profession, casual scorn was heaped much as Brooklyn Ailanthus trees drop copious seeds in springtime.”