In "Townie," Dubus manages that most difficult task: he forgives his father's trespasses to write with an unclouded mind, allowing readers to side with whomever they choose.

They had seen Lieschen go into her bedroom for the night, and had themselves gone to sleep with unclouded minds.

With an unclouded mind he knew what torment had driven this placid hulk to rage: Incessant, relentless, nagging self-doubt.

You will bring to the work a mind unclouded by theories.

He determined to face the swelling of Jordan and to enter His Father's house with an unclouded mind.

Her mind, ever unclouded because it thought of one thing only, took in the situation at a glance.

He accepts his mortality and rejects the constrictions of society he previously placed on himself, leaving him unencumbered and free to live his life with an unclouded mind.

He needed an unclouded mind to reason this through.

As soon as twelfth night saw the Christmas decorations consigned to storage once more, the shade of Rosie Duff would grow insubstantial again, leaving his mind clear and unclouded by memory.

Shana tried to hold back her own yawn, and failed; when Lorryn added his, it was obvious that none of them were going to be able to work or speak with unclouded minds.