Long-time listener, first-time caller. Love the show. Hey, that Errol Morris film I was talking about the other night at dinner, the one with the blind naked molerats? It’s “Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control.” I had substituted a “Furious” for the “Cheap.” Thought you might like to know.

As for your question: I think reading a story about someone else makes us not exactly alive, but alive-er. It takes us outside our narrow selves, makes our worlds larger. That’s the obvious thing. But there’s also this other thing. It lets us suspend our egos for a little while. It lets us be humble. Like when we have children. Or contemplate the blind naked mole rat. Or bury goats. Warmest, Steve.