"Not only did I avoid speaking of Salinger; I resisted thinking about him. I did not reread his letters to me. The experience had been too painful"

This quote by Joyce Maynard talks to the pain she experienced in her relationship with J.D. Salinger. She was so injured by the experience that she actively avoided speaking of him and even considering him. She presumed regarding not go over the letters he had contacted her, as the memories were also painful. This quote talks to the power of emotions and how they can form our behavior. It also speaks to the power of evasion, as Joyce Maynard was so hurt by her experience with Salinger that she actively stayed clear of thinking of him. This quote is a pointer of the relevance of being mindful of our emotions and also exactly how they can form our habits.