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I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence.

—Jesmyn WardNovelist & Editor

Digital Age ERA • North America

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Pain is not a curse; it is the path the spirit walks to reach the light.

—Mahadevi VarmaPoet & Writer

Early Modern ERA • South Asia

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Writing is an act of hope.

—Isabel AllendeNovelist

Late Modern ERA • Latin America

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Suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning.

—Viktor FranklPsychiatrist, Logotherapist

Post-War ERA • Western Europe

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Happiness is a bird that flies too high for human hands.

—Dulce María LoynazPoet & Novelist

Post-War ERA • Caribbean

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Healing is an ongoing process of remembering and integrating fractured pieces of self.

—Gloria AnzaldúaTheorist & Writer

Contemporary ERA • North America

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When the moon is shining the cripple becomes hungry for a walk.

—Chinua AchebeNovelist & Critic

Post-War ERA • West Africa

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The sun sets, but its warmth lingers in the memory of the day.

—Namdeo Dhondo MahanorPoet

Contemporary ERA • South Asia

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Where there is poetry, there is hope. Where there is beauty, there is consolation.

—Jaroslav SeifertPoet & Author

Late Modern ERA • Eastern Europe

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Woe to him who lives without the light of hope!

—Adam MickiewiczPoet

Industrial Age ERA • Eastern Europe

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Beauty is always a miracle. A fleeting moment that makes you forget your troubles.

—Bohumil HrabalWriter & King

Post-War ERA • Eastern Europe

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If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars.

—Rabindranath TagorePoet, Philosopher & Artist

Early Modern ERA • South Asia

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Build resilience. It is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.

—Sheryl SandbergBusiness Executive, Author

Digital Age ERA • North America