“From a young age I learned to love literature because of my Grandfather Charlie. A great collector of poems and stories, he was the best storyteller, weaving together details and emotions in such a way that you felt you were there. His influence led to memorizing many poems throughout my life, my first one being at his house, in a rather unconventional way. Over the toilet hung Helen Steiner Riser’s poem, “Help Yourself to Happiness.” Many times I used that toilet, and as a result, I can still recite her poem word for word.”