America believes what's good for us is good for the world. It's very difficult to understand that that's not necessarily true.

But now, like a fallen sparrow On a golden chain, I'm forever bound in shadow, A prisoner to my pain.

I know what falling off the cliff means. I know from being considered a very bright kid to being considered like a moron and dropping out of school.

Cutting people out of your life is easy, keeping them in is hard.

I read a lot of comic books and any kind of thing I could find. One day, a teacher found me. She grabbed my comic book and tore it up. I was really upset, but then she brought in a pile of books from her own library. That was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Books transmit values. They explore our common humanity. What is the message when some children are not represented in those books?

I write in a small office at home.