David Nice

For years two married couples from opposite political parties have appeared to be good friends in conservative Central Pennsylvania. With the election of 2000, the Presidential race between George W. Bush and Al Gore proves to be the downfall of their bipartisan relationship. Carl persuades the local newspaper to look at a forgotten incident in Patrick’s professional past. Carl intentionally undermines Patrick’s political ambitions. Why? Had ambition, jealousy, and disloyalty already created the gulf between them? Do our politics divide us or just reflect our divisions?

Lilybeth has perhaps one more chance to speak with Rafael, her husband. Within the deep waters of memory and dementia, there is still a way to come to the surface, even if only for a short time. The Calm Woman is there to help her rise up.

Frank is an unemployed brewer floundering in the pandemic times. But Frank discovers a ray of hope and inspiration on the internet -- Zee. Frank believes he has been given a mission by the amazing Zee. And whether anyone else believes Zee is real or not, Frank knows he must carry out his mission.

The Alegria sisters, Alba, Marta, and Elena, and members of their family come together for a memorial service and funeral arrangements for their grandmother (abuelita), Lourdes. As often happens during periods of shared grief and change, family stories and secrets are discovered and shared by the three Alegria sisters. This revised knowledge and insight into their family history moves at least one sister to change her view of her own life and her identity. Do we choose, and can we change, our own identity?

There is something in the street address, or the numbers, or the direction of their lives that is bringing them together. There are indeed some forces we don't understand.

Forty years later, two high school band mates meet up at their high school reunion. The memories that each has of playing together in an “integrated” soul band prove quite different for both men.

Two employees from the same corporation are assigned to investigate a harassment claim at one of their divisional locations. After spending a day and half together doing their duty, Peter and Amy, are ready to fly home, but a snow storm grounds their plans. These two coworkers wind up sharing a hotel room, giving them plenty of opportunity for discussing the harassment case, as well as exploring their own views of the rules we create for each other at work and in life.

Doogan deals with his memories, his ex-spouse, and Sister Mary Justina. We discover it at different points in our life – we learn that our time here, alive, is completely unknowable and totally out of our control. If you keep that lesson close to your heart, you can live in the present and have few regrets. Easier said than done. What is that jumble of memory, brain tricks, and soul (essence?) that happens near the end? Do we get one last chance to make sense of it all? Who is the ultimate creator and editor of our lives?