By Terry Barr

Biology 100, taught by Dr. Lynn Sparrow, was a dead-end elective for Humanities majors. You’d have thought we’d study sexuality, biorhythms. Maybe since my tablemate, Jim, and I were often stoned, we missed it.

He transferred in that semester, introduced to me by his girlfriend Cathy, whom I was also seeing.

Jim and I studied at his house, in the midst of his roommate’s ceramic owls. “It’s a gay thing,” Jim said.

He transferred again that spring after Cathy left us for an actor.

Dr. Sparrow left, too, after her partner, Susan, found another. Blades, or pharmaceuticals? I never knew.