People Should Not be Afraid of their Children:

Grace Paley (nee Grace Goodside – an anglicized version of the Ukrainian family name Gutseit) was known for her pacifism and her political activism. She wrote about the complexities of women's and men's lives and advocated for the betterment of life for everyone. In 1980, she was elected to the National Academy of Arts and Letters and in 1989, Governor Mario Cuomo made her the first official New York State Writer. She was the Vermont State Poet Laureate from March 5, 2003 until July 25, 2007. She died at home in Thetford, Vermont at the age of 84.

Etgar Keret was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1967 and is the most popular writer among Israeli youth today. His books are bestsellers in Israel and have received international acclaim. His writing has been published in The New York Times, Le Monde, The Guardian, The Paris Review and Zoetrope. Over 40 short movies have been based on his stories, and one of them won the American MTV Prize (1998). His movie, Skin Deep, won First Prize at several international film festivals, and was awarded the Israeli Oscar.