Byron Lane is a playwright and screenwriter. He's also worked as a journalist and as a personal assistant to celebrities, including Carrie Fisher. He's originally from New Orleans and lives in Los Angeles with his boyfriend and their rescue dog, Tilda.

For many families in Los Angeles, taking a socially-distanced stroll around the neighborhood has been a major activity over the past few months, a type of recreation that feels essential for our mental and physical health.

From the time we first learn to read, we are steered towards “the classics.” FromThe Velveteen Rabbit to War and Peace, these novels are touted as enlightening, world expanding, and, sometimes, enjoyable reads. But what, exactly, is a “classic” novel?

It is a good thing that the lives of children’s authors are not always reflected in the books they wrote. Some of the most enduring and well-loved of these books were written by people whose lives were not sugar and spice.