IN A SUBURB north of Minneapolis, eighteen-year-old Mary sits on a sofa holding her infant daughter, who's teething. Having been up with her daughter most of the previous night, Mary is pale and weary-looking. Her boyfriend, Jamie, is downstairs in the basement with friends, and the high-pitched beeps indicate that a Nintendo game is in progress. "That's sort of what Jamie does, is play Nintendo," she says, shifting the baby to her other shoulder. "I love being with my baby, but I really wish he'd help out more."

"Six kids, with five different fathers"

Trina, another young mother, is sitting on a patch of grass near a homeless shelter smoking a cigarette. Five of her children stand aimlessly nearby, unsure of what to do with themselves. Her sixth child, a newborn, dozes in her arms. "Six kids, with five different fathers," she says quietly. "That's gotta be some...