“I will not let her speak because I love her, and when you love someone, you do not make them tell war stories. A war story is a black space. On the one side is before and on the other side is after, and what is inside belongs only to the dead.”

Catherynne M. Valente is an American fantasy and science fiction writer. She blends myth, folklore, and speculative fiction to create richly imaginative narratives that explore identity, history, and the supernatural. Her work often reimagines fairy tales and legends with a modern, poetic sensibility.