Prologue: The Meuse -- Family ties: the importance of place. The sight of my eye ; All the pretty horses ; The bending arc ; The family of Mann ; The remove ; Our farm, and the photographs I took there ; Hold still ; Ubi amor, ibi oculus est -- My mother: memory of a memory past. A sentimental welshman ; Uncle Skip and the little dears ; The southern landscape -- Gee-Gee: the matter of race. The many questions ; Hamoo ; Smothers ; The kid on the road ; Who wants to talk about slavery? -- My father: against the current of desire. The munger system ; Leaving Dallas ; Mr. death and his blue-eyed boy ; World traveler, interesting gent ; The cradle and the grave ; Bearing witness ; The sublime end ; The x above my head -- Postscript: Exhibit A, Exhibit B.