The death of the author's mother sparks a series of reflections on the secret roles mothers play in the lives of troubled adolescents.

Features short stories of: a young man seeking to hack into his own unconscious mind; an academic conference on the metaphysics of flies; an apocalyptic world where punctuation has been outlawed; and an eating disorder that produces collectible antiques.

At the heart of this non-story is an unforgivable family secret from generations past. It's none of your business, but go on, have a peek, you cheeky bastard.