She's Got NextWhen Melissa King, a transplanted southerner in search of connection, finds herself on the lean, mean streets of Chicago, she turns to her childhood passion for basketball. In her late twenties, King is at a crossroads in her life, and the randomness of the game as it is played on the streets suits her mood. The rules are unwritten, the teams a haphazard collection of players, and unlike anything else around her, the courts feel like home. So wherever

and weather as ballast

bright and bubbly—not to mention intrusive—and Annie doesn't have room in her life for a friend like that

wrong-for-her ex

more responsible sister

these essays introduce a remarkable cast of characters from every social strata—smugglers and slaves

her one-time lover

Being the middle child has its ups and downs

proving that in a time of deep isolation

the joy and hope we seek is very much alive in our lives

But even as unrest simmers in the capital

divided into short

has been assumed