Is it wrong to kill something that wants to kill you?

Writers are socially observant. We find people endlessly fascinating, and real life is mysterious. Sometimes it's hard to stop staring at the strut and squawk of my fellow man. They can be quite inspiring. Sometimes it's hard to stop talking to them to see what in the world they're thinking.

I've left the Church - for many reasons that I've written about publicly - but it's still a large part of my identity, and I still have my faith, if not my Church.

I'm a writer of faith. I was raised Catholic, and I have a deeply Catholic imagination.

Red Sox fans have been pushed to the brink over the years, but that's how faith grows stronger.

If I'd learned nothing else, it was this: If you want to be a great writer, be a man. If you can't be a man, write like one.

No matter what losses happen in a given season, the Red Sox always have next year.