“I dropped off my kids from 10 to 2, went to the library, and just wrot...” — Isabel Gillies Quote

“I dropped off my kids from 10 to 2, went to the library, and just wrote. This is my second career - I'm 41 - and I'm a terrible speller.”

“I had been living in Ohio in my own house with my own life when my marriage abruptly came to an end. I had nowhere to go with my two sons, very little money, and not much to do in Ohio except be someone's ex-wife. My parents instantly and very generously invited my family to move back home to New York, where I could begin again.”

“The Oberlin/Cleveland area is where the underground railroad came out, so it's an interesting historical place. I love Ohio and really loved Oberlin.”

“I could have easily gone down the wrong path and dropped out of school, but I was given a second chance.”

“I had a hoodie business, but I was secretly making music. So it wasn't anything serious until I dropped my first song, and then I was like, 'I think I want to do this.'”

“I dropped out of school when I was 15 years old. I dropped out because I guess I wasn't getting anything out of my investment in the school.”