The Story of Yuchun Yang — It was 1981, and little Anlan Wu had an appetite for plums. She also had a chore to do. …

When Absolution is Impossible “Willste ‘was zum Essen?” This was one of your most popular refrains: that affectionate way every German kid’s mom has of asking them at lunchtime — or anytime — “Do you want something to eat?” At the age of 41, there’s no longer any reason for…

Tackling the Refrain that Nightmares ‘aren’t real’ — Scores of German children growing up in Berlin were fortunate enough to have a soft bettdecke (coverlet) filled with feathers for nighttime, and I was one of them. …

A Peek into the Ocean’s Most Mysterious Cetacean — What if, in the deepest trenches and valleys of the Northern Pacific Ocean, there dwelt a magnificent creature roaming the waters without courtship or companions? What if such a creature were destined to live her entire lifespan with little chance of encountering others of her kind? And perhaps the more…

All you ever did was give. — You unfurled as a flaxen-haired blossom in the heart of your people: the tiny town of Weißenstadt in Bavaria, Germany. But you were not able to enjoy its charming simplicity, because by the time you could ride a tricycle it was 1944, and World War II was in full swing. …

An Account of the Missing Lonergans — At first, the couple seems mildly surprised. They’ve just surfaced after scuba-diving in what, to both veteran and new divers alike, would be considered the Holy Grail of diving spots: Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. They scan their surroundings — an impossibly vast tapestry of blue-tinged waves — and quickly discover…

Yama, the Lord of Death, eventually comes for us all. Here’s how the Buddha’s teachings help me prepare — First Messenger “Won’t you please let me wake up? I — I don’t like this. I want to go home!” Shivering in front of the looming visage before her, the young woman tries to draw her camisole across her chest. But this meager attempt at conserving heat does not work. …

The Mystery of whether Big Cats can seek revenge — It is carnal nature for the feline to be governed by instinct. While it’s unfortunate [and tear-jerking] to see a 600-pound big cat wrest a gazelle fawn away from its mother on the National Geographic channel, to a certain degree we understand the predator’s need for sustenance and accept it. …

Could Terror Be Stalking A South Carolina Lake? — South Carolina may well be a tourist destination for our family in the future. [If our financial situation ever changes, one of the first things we want to do is go camping]. Living in semi-rural Ohio helps; the kids do get to check in with nature from time to time…