"The brave writers whose work is represented in this volume have acted in good faith, faced their demons, stayed the course, and revised relentlessly. And in taking on the subject of themselves—making themselves vulnerable to the unseen reader—they have exchanged powerlessness for the power that comes with self-awareness." Couldn't Keep It to Myself, p. 5.

"Of the eleven contributors to this volume, eight have been battered and nine have been sexually abused, a statistic that reflects the norm for incarcerated women. Their essays, then, are victories against voicelessness—miracles in print." Couldn't Keep It to Myself, p. 9.

"Often, I caught myself still looking up when I heard a plan overhead. I told myself I'd been an idiot to believe all that crap about princes and saviors. Little by little, I trained myself not to look up." Couldn't Keep It to Myself, p. 48.

"God knows...