This short, relatable essay is a great choice for opening up a discussion in your classroom around vulnerability, bigotry, bullying, power, and fear. Díaz, the Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, tells the story of overcoming an overpowering fear when he was twelve years old, how he found inspiration in his older brother and books, and the small action that turned things around for him. This essay is also a great choice for teaching diction, syntax, point of