This American Life

Prologue.

One day at church camp, David Maxon challenged the devil to show himself. Just then, a huge thunderstorm started, and David felt sure the devil was behind it. So when the thunderstorm led to two campers getting killed, David couldn't help but blame himself. Twenty years later, host Ira Glass talks to David about being innocent but feeling guilty. (9 1⁄2 minutes)

Act One. Guilty As Not Charged.

Everyone told Darin Strauss that there would have been no way to avoid hitting the bicyclist who swerved into the path of his car. When the girl died, the police said Darin wasn't at fault. Darin tells the story of what it's like to live with being the accidental cause of someone's death. Darin is the author, most recently, of the novel More Than It Hurts You. (23 minutes) Song: "Ghost," Terese Taylor

Act Two. Soldier Of Misfortune.

When John came back from fighting in Iraq, he refused to leave his house. He was paranoid. He had violent nightmares—the same ones every night. Unlike a lot of vets, John got treatment. His doctor at the Veterans Affairs hospital felt optimistic about his case. And then John attacked his fiancée and her mother. Chris Neary tells the story of one veteran's struggle to return to being the person he was before the war. (21 minutes)