Sunrise at the American Market

Six years ago, a group of complete strangers began to gather each morning for coffee in a convenience store, The American Market, on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. In that modest and unsuspecting place, a community was born leading to friendships and commitment unlike anything they had known before. The bonds between members of the group solidified one morning when Henry, the proprietor of the Market, removed the entire rack of goods in the front of the store and replaced them with a table and six folding chairs. It was Henry, a political refugee, who organized the group and turned his otherwise plain and predictable convenience store into a salon, a place where all topics, both serious and inane, were, quite literally, on the table. Over time, the Market became that safe place we all seek, a place freed of judgment and guilt, liberated from one's externally imposed identity. In that extraordinary setting things begin to happen. Each character seated around the table has their own story, connected with and separate from their mornings at the Market. They face challenges with money, relationships, the nature and shape of their community, and overshadowing the group, the encroaching reality of an insurmountable medical crisis. Questions of fidelity, fate, and compassionate life termination become central and transformative. Ultimately, the sunrise group becomes that best of all families, a family of choice, as the Market emerges as a true home, central to each character, essential to their best and most decent hopes.

Andrew Popper is a Professor of Law at American University Washington College of Law.