I returned home from the library, my arms heavy with new books.

stee looked sad.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything,” I said.

“It’s not that,” he said. “None of your books looks like fun.” He looked over the stack. “Is this for research or something? Why didn’t you get any fun books?”

“I went to the library and geeked out.”

Later, in bed, stee looked at my stack of books again and pouted. “No fun, those books.”

“These books are totally fun,” I said. I pointed them out as I explained. “The Power of Babel is about the history of languages, and I find that stuff very interesting, because I like to use words good because I’m a professional writer and shit.”

“Uh huh.”

“For shizzy. And then I got The Body Project, because I’m girl power.”

“Are there naked girls in it?”

“No.”

“Boo.”

“And I got this book because it’s about science–”

“NERD!”

“It’s essays from scientists–”

“NERD!”

“About where they see science going in the next fifty years.”

“Oh. That actually sounds kind of interesting.”

“I know. And then I got Safe Food because I am kind of obsessed with freaking myself out about the food I eat and it’s important to know what exactly it is that’s killing us all.”

“No fun.”

“And then this book because again, totally girl power.”

“Yeah.”

“And then I got the Dalai Lama book so I stop thinking everybody is going to die tomorrow.”

“I take it back. This sounds like a blast.”

Currently Reading:

• The Body Project. Jealous?
• Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon, by Chuck Palahniuk