Sorry to be so late with this morning's letter to you. Not surprisingly, the graduation extravaganza threw numerous concrete blocks into the pathway of getting-things-accomplished-at-my-desk, including a book review for Sewanee that was due two days ago. But by ignoring you for a few hours today, I did manage to bang out my 900 words and hit send. That's one thing to cross off my list. Now all I have left to do is edit someone else's memoir, hone an anthology, tweak a poetry manuscript, answer a dozen emails, and prepare to manage a teaching conference.

Today is also the anniversary of the murder of Amy, Coty, and Monica.

Amy's mother Linda came to Paul's eighth-grade graduation on Monday night. Afterwards, my own mother said, "I have never seen such a sad face before. Never in my life."