Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on a system of thought or belief. I’m contemplating this as I read selections from The Tenth of December and Tin House.

• “Puppy”, The Tenth of December by George Saunders

How prone we are to heap judgment on the poor when a spoonful of mercy would work miracles.

• “Parabellum”, by Colum McCann, Tin House: This Means War, volume 14, Number 3

Para bellum, peace through strength: Whether negotiating an end to terror in Ireland or a solution to the economic distress in the US, you have to do the hard work.

They glance at each other: Three ways down from the silo. They can fall into the grain and drown, they can jump off the edge and abandon it, or they can learn to sow it very slowly at their feet.

• “Victory Lap”, The Tenth of December by George Saunders

How many of us still have our parents talking in our heads, and how pervasive is their influence? Does that chatter compel us to do good, or refrain from courageous action?

• “Sticks”, The Tenth of December by George Saunders

A story for every adult orphan who wonders why their parents did the things they did, worries they might do the same things and walks too quickly away.

• “All Hands”, by Samantha Hunt, Tin House: This Means War, volume 14, Number 3

A coast guard duty officer and a high school counselor struggle understand a situation that is ocean deep and sky high. We are all feeling our way through.

• “Wall to Wall Counseling”, by Jim Shepard, Tin House: This Means War, volume 14, Number 3

Mom is expected to make things better for her kids, her sister and the insurance company she works for. The focus is the sisters’ relationship, but I think the real story is the young girl who died because she was denied treatment. Her story plays in the background, like so much TV noise.

• “Escape from Spiderhead”, The Tenth of December by George Saunders

Saunders experiments with the short story form in a way that serves the story above the author’s cleverness. Here we witness an experiment, recorded by the subject. When the directors cross the line, the subject takes action and passes the test of what makes us human. This story contains the most simple, direct discourse on original sin I have ever read.