You’re a rock writer. Period. Your gender isn’t part of it, your heart is. That’s what matters. Just don’t sell your heart out. Don’t fall for garbage. Don’t write someone else’s agenda.”
“Got it.” I said, sensing the spot for punctuation.
“You’re better than you know,” he said. “Keep writing.”

Dave Marsh was right, of course.
Take it personal, make it personal. Hang tough for who you are – and know what you believe in. Then stand up for those things, use your voice and honor the people you’re speaking to with something they need to know and maybe haven’t considered.
“Access is responsibility, and if you have it, there should never be a question you’re going to tell the truth… Ever. And a lot of time, those truths aren’t easy, or fun.”
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“Look, you’re going to do this a long time. You have to know: lesser people are going to swing at you, try and even take you down. You’re a Midwestern kid, Rust Belt, you know the deal: They don’t respect us, but we don’t quit. We keep coming. We know our worth and our truth, and they can’t take that.”
“Know that: they can’t take it from you. Just make sure they don’t talk you into giving it away.”