Holidays with the FAM, Part 1

As you know, we're all about the Split Lip FAM. In the spirit of togetherness, we asked our FAM issue contributors:

If we had a FAM Thanksgiving, what role would you play that day and what would you bring?

Their answers will make you laugh, make you ache, and make you wish you could spend at least one holiday with them—just like their writing.

Tom Hunley – "Pledging Allegiance To The Middle Finger"

"I would be the adult cartoon that the extended family uncomfortably huddles around. I will bring imaginary characters that will sharpen living characters."

Gayle Brandeis – "Marching Orders"

"I would bring complicated emotions to the table. Thanksgiving is a charged time of year for me—in 2009, I had given birth four days before Thanksgiving, my mom became an official missing person two days before Thanksgiving, and committed suicide three days after Thanksgiving. All those emotions from that mix of birth and death and sweetness and pain, come flooding back every year around the holiday. So forgive me, Fam, if I start randomly crying during the meal. I'll bring some gluten free stuffing, too."

Chloe Clark – "The Undue Acidity in Your Veins"

"My role would be the one person in handle of doing a lot of cooking, who mostly stays in the kitchen, and never really sits down. It's how I've always handled dinner parties (and probably life). I like to focus on feeding the people I care about, but I don't necessarily like engaging with the bustle and too many conversations of the 'party' side of Thanksgiving.

While I'd probably make way too many dishes, I also specialize in pies. Really my goal in life is to one day have an entire Thanksgiving comprised of only pies—all different savory and sweet kinds."