Moments exist in my life when I have stood transfixed by a work of art. A 1965 performance of Prokofiev’s ballet, Romeo and Julie in which Rudolf Nureyev and Dame Margo Fontaine danced the title roles is one example. Rembrandt’s painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son is another.

A while ago, I picked up some magazines a neighbor had left in his garden for people to enjoy. Some of them were several years old. In a 2009 edition of Yes, I found a story about a writing project for juvenile boys at the Detention Center in Seattle. The program had an uneven start.