The human standard

The subjects I write about can appear to occupy very different worlds. A book about death row asks questions of justice and punishment. A book about childhood sexual abuse confronts silence and the rebuilding of trust. A guide to modern manners considers the choices people make in their daily communications. What connects them is my concern for the person within each experience.

Dignity acquires meaning through what we do. It is present when someone listens carefully, when an institution explains its decisions and when a person accepts responsibility for the effects of their behaviour. It is also exposed by its absence. The language of respect means little if our conduct repeatedly denies it.

I believe writing should make room for complexity without losing sight of the people who live with its consequences. A difficult question deserves careful thought, and a person’s experience deserves more than a convenient label. Those are the responsibilities I bring to my work as an author, educator and advocate.