Ezra Sinclair? He’s the type of guy you’d start to describe as “he’s the type of guy…” and then realize you don’t know a single true fact about him.

You’d realize all you saw were smoke and mirrors— and as you try to extract yourself from the imminent social awkwardness and sick feeling that you’d been played— you’d still wish he was there.

That’s how it was to live life with Ezra Sinclair.

Ebullient, eccentric, faintly diabolical, and woefully poor at time keeping, Ezra made for an inspired dinner guest and horrendous roommate.

Kerry Sullivan learned the extent of Ezra’s limp empathy during their three years rooming together at Yale. Ezra never seemed to attend class, but received top marks. Kerry had his suspicions— but couldn’t fault Ezra if he didn’t get caught.

He’s the type of guy you’d be reluctant to define your friendship with. Certainly no one qualified him as their “best friend.” But there were cases of “close” and “dear” even if from afar they seemed strained.

It begs the question— can you be friends with a force of nature? Or are you resigned to admiring it? Knowing that you can’t unpack a tornado or quell a tsunami.