Just back from a fun four days in Wisconsin, where I was honored to be a guest of Lawrence University. On campus in Appleton, I did a reading, met with students, and hung with some cool professors whose seemingly happy and content lives made me question my life choices, which is what always seems to happen when I visit midwestern universities.

Then I was squired up to Door County to spend the weekend at Lawrence's exhilarating Bjorklunden estate, right on the shore of Lake Michigan. I taught...