Marc Shapiro to share were often the tales of action and adven- ture that featured herself and her friends as thinly disguised characters in stories of derring-do Her other stories, those she perceived as more intimate, she would not show to anyone. These were the stories that she felt a real writer would write. And she was not quite ready to let the out- side world into that part of her creative life. Joanne's love for reading continued to blos som as well. She had long since begun to read about the lives of real people and had developed a particular infatuation for author Jessica Mitford, a feminist who ran off and joined the Spanish Civil War at age nineteen and was a passionate sup- porter of human rights. "I remember reading the book Hons and Rebels at age fourteen and it changed my life." Joanne had grown into quite the confident stu dent in her senior year at Wyedean Comprehen sive. She was popular and outgoing, and her grades were quite good. So good, in fact, that Joanne was made Head Girl in her final year. Head Girl was a lofty position that all the girls aspired to. But, in fact, very little responsibility was attached to the title. Once a year, when some no-