Kit’s mother steadfastly refused to start by asking any guest about their work—that was too easy. Besides, the best stuff resided elsewhere, she always said, and generally this was true, although sometimes a bit more than expected (a discussion of polyamory, started by an innocuous-looking professor of physics when Kit was seven years old, remained a standout). Still and all, it did tend to be exciting, and when Kit had eaten at his friends’ houses, he was often stunned by the vapidity of the conversation. How was school? How did you make this meatloaf?
