America the flat, the bewildered. America the thin, the beflagged. America the shallow, the befuddled. America the divorced.

Addendum I (July 19, 1992)

This was scribbled on a boarding card on my way home from Boston, where I spent three days finalizing the divorce proceedings with my first wife, Elise. After nearly three years of acrimonious haggling I was free to marry Lauren, but I felt violated by the court and the law. I could not suppress tears on my way out of the courthouse in Cambridge. I felt far from victorious. The language of the law stupefied me. The financial arrangements I was forced to accept looked frightening. Elise’s behavior in court disgusted me. The unexpected loss of sovereignty mortified me. I calmed down by the time I reached the home of friends with whom I stayed in Cambridge, but the feeling of doom and gloom persisted for several weeks. The blizzard that hit Boston during my visit did not make things more enjoyable. The ubiquitous American flag did not make things less irritating.

Addendum II (May 2, 1995)

Several mornings ago, in the shower, I suddenly realized that both our attorneys were women, as well as that the judge was a woman. In the courtroom, I was surrounded by women. All of a sudden that struck me as significant. And I had no idea whether I should be proud or ashamed of myself on account of this discovery.