How did we get here?

It’s said that a writer should know ten times more about the characters than ever makes it into the novel.  Why should I be the only one with such knowledge?  There’s a lot of stuff I cut out of my books that fleshed-out the characters but gummed-up the narrative.  So I’ve gathered some of them here, free for your reading, with the hope of enhancing and enriching your experience.  These are the backstories.