“To BYOV means resisting the urge to define anyone else and focusing on redefining the self. It means searching inward. I practice this through writing fiction. I write with vulnerability and tenderness. I dig up the courage to spit out all the words too difficult to swallow. In my daily life, I push myself to be gentle and kind to myself and everyone around me. For me BYOV means creating space for authenticity, even if that authenticity is flawed, undone, or broken. It means seeking freedom that is both soft and relentless.””

— Christiana McClain