Bea fancied herself a hardcore skeptic. She intentionally cocked her eyebrow at the last moment during this picture; she was hoping to use her yearbook photo on the jacket for a book she was writing (The Lies You Help Me Tell, which she abandoned promptly after entering middle school).Religion was her favorite concept to reject, and she was especially vocal against atheism: to Bea, devoutly claiming to know there was no God was every bit as presumptuous as proclaiming there was only one.
She was an intense girl, smart and quick to play the devil's advocate. Though she would surely have excelled on the school debate team she avoided it, preferring to make conscientious cases at town hall meetings and on local cable-access TV.
Though an argumentative personality can distance many people, Bea did find a group of friends attracted by her passion. Bea never outgrew her sly opinions and contrary perspectives. After college she taught high school for many years, where her staunch skepticism found new ways to express itself.
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