When Eve Ensler’s father died, she knew the apology she had been waiting for her entire life would never come. Her father would never say sorry ― not for molesting her as a young girl, or for beating her when she got older. Not for demeaning or dehumanizing her.  

Like many survivors of sexual violence, Ensler desperately wanted to hear her perpetrator take responsibility for what he’d done. She believed that if he explained what led him to commit such heinous acts and expressed real, unbridled remorse, it would help her heal.

And so, at 65, the acclaimed author of “The Vagina Monologues,” decided she’d have to do it herself. If he couldn’t say the words she needed, she would write them for him.

It is a punishing, painful read and reveals a remarkable depth of compassion. Ensler channels her father’s voice as she imagines his thought process and emotional state as he decides to hurt the child he is charged with protecting.

Earlier in May, HuffPost spoke with Ensler by phone about “The Apology” and why it is important to hear from the viewpoint of those who cause harm.