Elizabeth Strout

Because not only does he not expel him, he sits him down and says, you know, next time you think that, just think it up here.

And then he actually says to Danny, I don't blame you.

And Danny's like, you don't blame me for what?

And he said, well, I feel like saying that to people sometimes myself.

And that opens up a whole world for this young, angry man.

who thinks of Artie as old, because he, you know, is so much older.

And that just ushers him into a whole new vision of life that, oh my word, older people, Artie Dam, Dam Dam, actually wants to say this to people at times.

That's amazing for somebody like Danny.

And it was so generous of Artie to give him that opening.

Yeah, they had their secrets that were serious and sad.

But it's comforting to Danny, who has his own secrets and sadness, to find out that somebody as jovial as Damn Damn, Artie Damn, feels this.

And I was very pleased with that scene because I just thought, that's Artie at his best.

He's just being very generous to this kid.

But exactly.

And Danny, I mean, Artie just can't believe that.

He's so glad that his friend told him, the English teacher told him, he said, Danny's brilliant in Shakespeare.

And, you know, Artie says to Danny, why didn't I know that?

He goes, because I'm a jock.

You know, he's the star soccer player.

You know, he said, I'm not going to walk around talking about Shakespeare anymore.