Summary

What Would Natalie Portman Do? The author describes a day when sadness overwhelms her to the point of tears. She is comforted by Freddy, who tells her that when he feels sad, he plays his drums until he feels better. The author then imagines the movie of her life, in which “Natalie Portman or some other gorgeous girl whose nose doesn’t swell when she cries” plays out all her fear and grief on the drums (248).

Off Battleground Avenue – One of the tigers at the zoo, once visited and referred to as the “Beastie Cats” by the author’s children, dies unexpectedly. The author experiences intense memories of her times at the zoo (which is on Battleground Avenue), and wonders what will happen to the male tiger. She also learns where the tigers came from – a conservation site that can be...