Being an author of banned books is cool, I've decided.

I think that ties in with issues of identity as well - that sometimes there are parts of us we want to hide, and then there's other times we say, "You know what? Nope. Done hiding that part."

Even so, I was proud of myself for taking action at all. I didn't hide or run away or pretend the ugliness didn't happen. I stood up and said something that was true. I said it out loud, and by doing so, I was standing up for lots of people, not just me.

Yes, that man acted ugly," she told us in plain English. "But throwing more ugliness back at him ain't the answer.

Being an author of banned books is cool, I've decided.

Sometimes when we forget to do things for others, it's because we're too wrapped up in our own problems.

I'm sorry," he said again, and this time he took those words and owned them.