Welcome to Storybound, presented by Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate. I am your host, Jude Brewer.

Coming up in one minute is a story told by Kim Barnes,

with original composition by Pretty Gritty and Brian Dasht.

And if you stick around until after the credits,

you'll get to hear some cool behind-the-scenes info on how this episode was made.

Here we go.

Hungry for the World.

December 24th, 1978, I lay on my couch trying to concentrate on whatever sitcom David was watching

in order to keep my mind off the pain racking my stomach.

A virus had left me weak-need and pathetic,

sipping seven-up instead of champagne.

The week before, my mother had called to invite me to the holiday dinner.

Roast turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, sugared yams, chocolate pie.

What about David?

My mother sighed.

You know how we feel about him. Your dad wouldn't have it, even if I would.

How long had it been since I had seen her, my father, my grandmother, or brother?

My thoughts of them came to me like distant memories, images from a photograph,

mouths frozen and silent smiles, eyes peering into the dark lens of my face my cousin

Les and her husband Mark stopped by with gifts that Christmas Eve

Les sometimes seem the only tie left the lone thread tethering me to my family

David devoted a great deal of attention to Les invited her to the lone thread tethering me to my family.

...