'Any road can get you there'

 

“Sometimes I’ve believed as many assix impossible things before breakfast.” – Lewis Carroll   

 

Born in Daresbury, England on thisdate in 1832, Carroll – the pseudonym for Charles Dodson – was the eldest in afamily of 11 children and grew adept at entertaining his siblings with hisstorytelling ability.

 

It was something he continued doinginto his 20s and 30s, including for the children of good friend Henry Liddell.   It was Henry's daughter Alice who can be credited with Carroll's pinnacle inspiration. On a picnic outing with the Liddell family, Caroll toldAlice and her sisters an amazing tale of a dream world called Wonderland.  Alice was soenamored she insisted Carroll write the story down so she could both relive itand share it with her friends.

 

Ultimately, the story fell into thehands of novelist Henry Kingsley, and in 1865 he urged Carroll to publish it.  That year the book Alice's Adventuresin Wonderland was born.  It would become the most popularchildren’s book in England, then America, and then throughout the world by thetime of Carroll’s death in 1898.

 

How did a professionalmathematician and photographer spin such a yarn?  Perhaps two of hislasting quotes will suffice: “Begin at the beginning and go on till you come tothe end; then stop.”  And, “If you don’t know where you are going,any road can get you there.”