Jill Grunenwald > Quotes

“Besides, who doesn't love vampires and monsters and haunting hearts beating beneath the floorboards?”
― Jill Grunenwald, Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian

“Step my step, mile by mile. These were my medals and I had worked hard for each and every one of them and no matter what happened, no matter who horrible I felt on race day, those medals represent the blood, sweat, and tears that went into making me the runner I am today.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Running with a Police Escort: Tales from the Back of the Pack

“Every race proves a new opportunity to educate myself about what it means to be a runner and what it means to run.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Running with a Police Escort: Tales from the Back of the Pack

“I was struggling. I didn't just need a mental health day. I needed a mental health life.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian

“Without a view to the seasonal changes happening out in the yard - the growing of the grass, the piles of snow drifts, the presence or absence of birds depending on the time of year - no one inside could watch time marching on,”
― Jill Grunenwald, Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian

“This is true for all of us: the library is, and hopefully always will be, a place where we can just be free.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian

“My particular favorite was the David Bowie–led masterpiece Labyrinth. I can say that it is without a doubt one of the best children’s films to come out of the 1980s, which is saying something as that particular decade was full of really dark, really twisted films aimed at children, and I was obsessed with each and every one. Upon reflection, that probably speaks to my current personality more than any other possible pop culture influence I had growing up.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Running with a Police Escort: Tales from the Back of the Pack

“I am, and always have been, a bookworm. Books are in my blood, the written word etched upon my bones.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian

“I love that during fall, there is a sacred sense of renewal. Like a snake shedding its skin, trees are given new life, new opportunities for growth. It's like opening the cover of a brand new notebook and staring at a blank white page. This isn't a test, there is no wrong answer, just a chance to take a deep breath and reset.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian

“The tide threatened to pull me under every single morning and every single morning I had to force myself to get out of bed. Because of my cat.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian

“Every library is unique because every library's user base is unique and this library was no different. However, different communities meant different needs meant different collections.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian

“I made it half a city block before falling on my ass again. Only this time I didn’t just fall on my ass and wound my pride: I broke my elbow. What kind of late twentysomething breaks a bone attempting to relive some naive dream to be a fucking roller derby girl?”
― Jill Grunenwald, Running with a Police Escort: Tales from the Back of the Pack

“The decision to wear a one-piece Batman bodysuit to the race seemed like a brilliant idea until the moment I had to pee.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Running with a Police Escort: Tales from the Back of the Pack

“Because even out in the big wide world of life after prison, the library is a neutral space. The library doesn't care who you are or where you come from. The library just wants you to be there, enjoying the books and reading the newspapers and checking your email on the computers. The library is a space for everyone, regardless of background and history,”
― Jill Grunenwald, Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian

“A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never-failing spring in the desert.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Reading behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian

“So as I’m constantly relearning, perception can be entirely age-related.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Running with a Police Escort: Tales from the Back of the Pack

“I sometimes wonder what teenage me would think of the adult me. If she knew what lies ahead, would she make the same choices as I did, blind to the future? Or, would she take advantage of this certain knowledge and make different, perhaps better, choices? If I had known, as a teenager, that one day I would be a runner, would I have use my years in high school and college to cultivate my love for running at an early age? Who would I be now if I had discovered this sport earlier in my life?”
― Jill Grunenwald

“But I especially loved being able to cross a day off after that particular activity had been completed. There was nothing more satisfying than taking a pen and drawing a diagonal line across the designated square on my calendar.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Running with a Police Escort: Tales from the Back of the Pack

“(I also have a flair for the dramatic.) Spoiler alert: everything turned out fine.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian

“He knew that if he was in the library, it meant he wasn't going to be in a situation where he could possibly get into trouble,”
― Jill Grunenwald, Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian

“Books are considered dangerous for all sorts of reasons: content, language, violence. There is also a philosophy of arming oneself with books and knowledge, as if preparing for a battle of wits. But this was the first time I realized they could be used as literal weapons.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian

“This must be how Harry Potter and friends felt as they ventured into the Forbidden Forest. They had no way of knowing what lay beyond but they knew enough - I mean, it was called the Forbidden Forest for a reason - to know that they had to keep their guard up and that danger lurked under every bush and behind every tree.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian

“I love playing the detective, digging in deep, searching for clues, reading up on a subject, garnering information.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian

“Spring was here and the desire to make positive changes was in the air.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian

“Also, in grad school, I learned about the Five Laws of Library Science, as outlined by S.R. Ranganathan in 1931. One of these laws - number two, as it were - is "Every Reader HIs Book." Every member of a community, Ranganathan argued, should be able to walk into a library and find the material they want. Libraries should exist for all patrons and provide a collection that meets the needs of everyone in that community, not just certain demographics. It's a great standard for most libraries.”
― Jill Grunenwald, Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian