Dancing with the Octopus

  In Which I Enter Stage Left

  In Which Charles Goes for a Burger

  In Which Reality Hits

  In Which Charles Smells Turkey

  In Which I Learn God Is Dead

  In Which I Wonder Where Dad Is

  In Which Charles Reviews the News Headlines

  In Which I Carry On

  In Which Charles Grows Busy with His Social Life

  In Which Eyes Prove to Be the Mirror of the Soul

  In Which Charles Ponders the Meaning of Friendship

  In Which We Cross the Pond

  In Which Charles Conducts a Moral Inventory

  In Which I Take off the Shades

  In Which Charles Meets a Hot Chick

  In Which Dad and I Convene Another Chautauqua

  In Which I Take Mom Out for a Heart-to-Heart

  In Which Charles Gets a Promotion

  In Which I Ponder a Disorder of Nerves

  In Which I Meet a Real Doctor of the Soul

  In Which I Ponder the Meaning of Family Togetherness

  In Which I Hear the Sleigh Bells Ring

  In Which I Meet a Fishy Oracle

  In Which I Reach a Tipping Point

  In Which I Sense an Imaginary Creature

  In Which I Put a Narrative to the Trauma

  In Which the Octopus Is Rendered Real

  In Which I Make a Grand Exit

  In Which Mr. K Materializes

  In Which I Review the Headlines

  In Which I Fact-Check

  In Which I Solve a Psychological Riddle

  In Which Charles Generously Provides His Services

  In Which I Contemplate a Stimulating Conversation

  In Which I Chase Nickels

  In Which I Assess an Algorithm of Risk

  In Which I Return to the Cornhusker State

  In Which I Drop In for a Surprise Visit

  In Which I Consider What I Learned about Human Nature

  In Which a Choice in the Road Is Taken

  In Which I Play Hamlet

  In Which I Meditate on Violence

  Acknowledgments

  A conversation with Debora Harding, author of Dancing with the Octopus

  Author’s Note

  A Note on the Author