Its funny how things stack up sometimes. I'm working on a group project for Road Narrative, and one text (a film, actually) just keeps buzzing in my mind - Smoke Signals. It seems so relevant to the somewhat general topic of "Gender and the road" that my group has to discuss, that I found myself searching out the book that this film was based on, and ordering it. Today of all days, January 16th, it arrives in the mail and reading the introduction, I'm reminded of one of the reasons why I was so attracted to the story in the first place. Sherman Alexie, the author, says that "sons in this book really love and hate their fathers."

It's been a year to the day since my father died. Strange I should end up reading this book today, this book that deals with fathers and sons, alcoholism and sickness, with death, and ultimately, with the road, and what it means to take that trip. It's funny how things stack up like that sometimes.