Q: What's the last book you're ever going to write?

I had a student ask me this amazing question at a classroom visit last week: what's the last book you're ever going to write?

What a stopper. I stared at the ceiling, thoughts of mortality and the blip of existence flipping through my head, thinking "how do we know when we're done anything? Life is short and most often ends abruptly." Hardly an appropriate response for a 10-year old.

What did I finally say? In a moment of clarity and companionship, I said: "I hope it's something happy, that makes other people happy, too."

I really meant it. A lovely thought, to end on a happy note, I should start that book now.

Here's my blog entry, for a fuller description:

http://phdowding.blogspot.ca/2014/03/...