The Earth in Sadness The New York Times, Sunday Review “On the morning I left my husband and moved out of our apartment, I saw a giant birds’ nest tear apart, fall from the tree branch and crash down onto the pavement. The nest belonged to the green monk parakeets that lived down the street in a honey locust tree, where they spent their days chattering, grooming one another and weaving twigs, string and plastic bags into a basketlike housing complex as long and wide as a bicycle. On this day, the nest suddenly ruptured; half of it plummeted into the street. I came running.” Illustration: Antoine Maillard Back to Essays & Stories