Inspirations: Away from home

“Exile” is a This American Life story I heard in 1999 while driving to visit my grandmother in Holland, Michigan. It always stuck with me as a remarkable exploration of the human side — and perversity — of law and the legal system. The story ended as I neared the turn to my grandmother’s house. I kept going, driving to the abandoned beach on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, to reflect; unprepared to shift from the world of this story to the warmth of her home.