Would you agree,” he said, “that man’s sole duty is to produce as much pleasure as possible?””Only if the pleasure produced is equivalent to the diminution of pain.” My father crossed his arms. “And only...

What about stakes in the heart?” I asked now. He frowned, the center of his mouth pursed while its corners curled downward. “Anyone will die from a stake in the heart,” he said. “And anyone...

She looked at me for a second and said, “Oh, never mind. I guess it’s true what Mom said? That you’ve led a sheltered life?”I said I thought the description fairly apt.

She especially liked my bedside lamp, which had a five-sided porcelain shade. Unlit, the shade seemed like bumpy ivory. Lit, each panel came to life with the image of a bird: a blue jay, a...

After we became a couple, she composed our time together. She planned days as if they were artistic events. One afternoon we went to Tybee Island for a picnic; we ate blueberries and drank champagne...