In Japan, it's strange to openly take credit for giving to charity or even to donate publicly.Collection: Japan
Historical atrocities have certainly shown that dehumanizing any group is the first step toward genocide.Collection: Historical
I believe actual violence scars children much more than violence in storybooks.Collection: Children
I'd hasten to say that the prejudice in Dust City isn't completely analogous to racism in the real world.Collection: Real
People of different ethnicities are definitely not of differing species. Biologically speaking, people are people.Collection: Ethnicity
If some readers take away the idea that animals deserve better treatment in general, then I certainly won't argue.Collection: Animal
I can't say I'm anything like a devoted animal rights activist, but I certainly oppose cruelty to animals.Collection: Animal
I always hope that the artwork will complement and enrich a story.Collection: Stories
Since I tend to write chronologically, the middle is always the place where the process is most taxing.Collection: Writing
Destiny isn't immutable. You can change your fate. But I'd say the only way to do it is with hard, intelligent work and long-term dedication to a goal.Collection: Fate
In medieval Europe, childbirth was a leading cause of death. So widowed fathers with children were quite common, meaning stepmothers were equally common.Collection: Children
I believe young children in particular enjoy witnessing the survival of youthful protagonists against terrible odds. I think it's gratifying to the reader when you give young characters that kind of agency.Collection: Children
I think a lot of things are at play when children enjoy a grisly old fairytale. I don't think many children take it literally, or rather it's quite clear to them that it's only a story, only make believe.Collection: Children