It troubles me that people speak about writing for money as ugly and distasteful.

A good home must be made, not bought.

Long after Salinger sent me away, I continued to believe his standards and expectations were the best ones.

I continued to protect him with my silence.

I believe every one of us possesses a fundamental right to tell our own story.

Some literary types subscribe to the notion that being a writer like Salinger entitles a person to remain free of the standards that might apply to mere mortals.

I'd known enough flush times and lean ones to understand that money came and went. And that one day I'd also lose my looks, my seemingly boundless energy and maybe the ability to catch the eye of an attractive man and the audacity to Rollerblade. My name would be forgotten. So would bad reviews, and good ones. But loving a child is something that lasts. Long after all the rest is gone, that's what endures.