One of my favorite parts of writing is reading proofs. It’s something that can be checked off the list as finished, an elusively satisfying task when in writing it always seems nothing is really finished, because more can be done, but then there’s that indefatigable question of “how much?”

This is from a new essay, “A Better Mousetrap,” coming out in North Dakota Quarterly. Thanks so much to the editors for picking it!