Last month, my good friend Mathew Oakes, Ph. D. Professor of Composition and Literature, invited me to talk with his class at Rock Valley College in Illinois about three stories in Equipoise. It was pure pleasure. His students were exceptionally insightful, prepared, and articulate. They asked questions that had me thinking about my own writing from a new perspective and when I asked them some of my questions, their answers revealed a true depth of understanding and compassion for the characters—they kind of knocked my socks off. And they made me realize how enlivening it is to talk about story with other readers and writers. Immediately afterward, I started applying to all kinds of literary festivals. Early on, Mat asked one of those excellent questions that somehow often gets talked around in craft discussions (thank you, Mat!): where do characters come from? I don't know, of course, but here's what I feel...