My blog's namesake

"What if I'd lived my whole life and never known? Do people live their whole lives and never know?"


"Lots of people," I say. "Lots of people live in one city all their lives. Lots of other people see all the things we've seen and still don't know it's a beautiful world."


I met Catherine Ryan Hyde the other night, at a panel for authors of young adult novels, at Vromans Bookstore in Pasadena. She's also the author of "Pay it Forward". I usually don't pay much attention to young adult literature, I have Jessica to thank for asking me to join her =)

Of all the panelists, she was the first to acknowledge that youth not only understand but need to see reflected in youth literature, the problems they face. Namely: drugs, violence, poverty, sex, abuse, coming out, coming of age. As long as these issues aren't written in a way that is gratuitous, youth can find ways to rise above their problems, get help, do better or get out.

Its the first time I've had a book signed. Very cool. She radiates cool. I thanked her for writing the novel without having read it that night, because I just knew, in the way that she spoke, that she cared like I care, about doing something, anything for young people.

The novel is about two youth who, having suffered traumatic childhoods, meet each other and through travel try to find out whether or not the world is still beautiful despite what they know.