I was conceived in Chicago, where my father was studying dentistry and at Loyola and my mother was studying business administration at Northwestern University. They met on a blind double-date and fell madly in love despite the huge cultural chasm which separated them. My father, Glen, was from Lewiston, Idaho, the son of Veta and Lenus. Veta was from “good English stock” that traveled west in covered wagons, managing to avoid both Indians and Mormons. According to Veta, the Mormons were much more dangerous. Lenus was the son of Swedish immigrants who came west via Minnesota. According to legend, Lenus’ father, who worked in the forest felling trees, was away from home for long periods of time. During one of these long absences, the villagers took up a collection for his young wife to send her back to Minnesota by train. They thought that she had been abandoned. Before this plan could be put in action, Lenus’ father emerged from the woods. Sometime later Lenus was born, to be followed by … XXX … and Quentin. According to legend, Lenus was different from his brothers and sisters. Much shorter, much more intelligent, and with a fierce desire for education.