In the six short stories collected in Thinking Out Loud, Karen N. Drake provides a glimpse at the inner workings of the mind. With vivid imagery, humor, and a remarkable understanding of the inner voice, Drake introduces readers to the private thoughts of an Asian grandmother, a teenage runaway, a worried military mom, a vengeful peeping tom, and even an inanimate object-- a stop sign. Honest, inventive and insightful, Drake's writing creates a lush and intimate vision of characters familiar and relevant to all.