Perhaps," Said The Man, "you

I Didn't Know At The Time I Was Writing Because Of Winn-dixie Where The Story Came From, But In Retrospect I Can See That It Was A Response To A Terribly Harsh Winter Here In Minnesota.

What Was It Like...to Have Someone Who Knew You Would Always Return And Who Welcomed You With Open Arms?

The Story Is Not A Pretty One. There Is Violence In It. And Cruelty. But Stories That Are Not Pretty Have A Certain Value, Too, I Suppose. Everything, As You Well Know (having Lived In This World Long Enough To Have Figured Out A Thing Or Two For Yourself), Cannont Always Be Sweetness And Light.

Perhaps," Said The Man, "you Would Like To Be Lost With Us. I Have Found It Much More Agreeable To Be Lost In The Company Of Others.

As A Kid Books Changed How I Looked At The World And Helped Me Understand Things. Books Still Deepen Me And Open My Heart.