by Valerie Kennan As I watched the starlit sky, I was convinced I was about to die. I grew up in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts, where the most dangerous animal in town was the neighbor’s untrained dog. Living in Montana, a weekend camping trip forces me to face

by Valerie Kennan The transmission in the car of my life has two gears: sitting on the sidelines, and reckless abandon. I tend more towards pendulum swings, trying one tactic and, finding it failing, swinging to the other, also ineffective extreme. I spent elementary school following every rule and being