"Quart's gift as a writer is her ability to report on the experiences of ordinary people, following their realistically messy lives for years, offering us vivid portraits that are profoundly humane."--"The New York Times Book Review"

"[Quart's] careful reporting and vividly rendered characters make the book a vital, engaging read."--"Psychology Today" "Instructive for those who do creative work, and even for people who are trying to engage in any kind of meaningful self-definition: Don't always accept other people's categories. You can always make your own."--"Fast Company"

"With brief but telling glimpses of the many people she interviews, the author makes connections that wouldn't otherwise be obvious...a liberating vision of interlocking subcultures."--"Columbus Dispatch"

Alissa Quart is the author of "Branded" and "Hothouse Kids." She has written features and opinion pieces for the "New York Times," "The Atlantic," "O Magazine," "The Nation," and many other publications. Her poetry has appeared in the "London Review of Books" and elsewhere. She lives in New York City.