But what are our stories if not the mirrors we hold up to our fears?

When I was a kid... I needed to belong.

I usually learn more from the situations I hate than the ones I love.

Love comes in far more shapes and sizes than what the family-values crowd condones, of course.

Getting a job scared her but she was determined not to shy away from risk. That's what life's all about. Climbing out onto the airplane wing and jumping off.

The seeker embarks on a journey to find what he wants and discovers, along the way, what he needs.

Look, don't just stare at the pages," I used to tell my students. "Become the characters. Live inside the book.