In the scenario that my brother and sister-in-law have written for their children in order to tell them apart, John is a stoic — self-sufficient and responsible, while Matthew, the baby, is a saint. And James is a juggernaut — a holy terror, an irresistible force. Blond like his brothers, with the same damp touch of entreaty and attitude of childhood tenacity, he has blue eyes that are hot smudges, like thumbprint impressions burned into his brow by the lingering hands of the creator.

— by John Weir, CUNY writer.