The title novella of We’re All in This Together tells the story of George, the teenage son of a single mother, and the only grandson of a family of union organizers in Maine. George’s grandfather Henry, obsessed with the outcome of the 2000 election, has planted a giant billboard of homage to Al Gore in his front yard that he suspects has been defaced by the paperboy, now a sworn enemy. Meanwhile, George’s mother is about to marry Dr. Vic, who, besides being possessed of an almost royal obliviousness, may even have voted for George W. Bush. George is a nervous accomplice to his grandfather’s increasingly unhinged behavior, and a righteous adversary at war with his mother over her marriage. George’s struggle is a funny and moving parallel for our times: How will we fight? All together, or all alone? Featuring four other stories that range from the concerns of an itinerant dentist with a taste for nitrous oxide to the deep shadows of old Coney Island to the exotic mysteries of a discount mall, this funny, insightful, and always entertaining collection launches the career of an extraordinarily talented writer.