Writing Quote I Love: Close the Door

TellThemYourStory

(c) marekuliasz, istockphoto.com

I may have shared this one before, but it’s one of my favorites.

“Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.” – Barbara Kingsolver

Quote I Love: Hope

(c) mensatic, morgueFile

(c) mensatic, morgueFile

“For every story of a person writing faggot on the door of a gay couple, there is one of a father smiling while watching his gay-teen-son openly embrace a boy he cares for. For every horrible coming out story, there is the story of a family that meets their loved-ones with support and acceptance.

We certainly shouldn’t undermine the struggles that our community faces. We shouldn’t only show the good and ignore the bad. We shouldn’t stop fighting for equity just because we’ve received it for some. But I have to say, those bad days when it seems like the odds are stacked against us, I now can think back on the scene I witnessed at Starbucks-a scene of love and acceptance from an unexpected source-and have a reason to smile.”

–Benjamin O’Keefe in his article “A Dad Dropped His Son Off on a Date and It Restored My Faith in Humanity” (Be sure to read the full story. It’s charming.)