Nice story, Ellenpoly. And you like that Brit spelling of colors? Me too, but people always call me on it and I gave it up.

A director I knew said he didn't like thinking of characters having motives, exactly, but projections, or projects of themselves. So if you want to write, what do you envision, he asked me. NY Times bestseller list? A Briefly Noted thing in the New Yorker? I shrugged, (I didn't have ambition as a writer, except to write little comedy stuff). Then he said Or maybe seeing your book on the bargain table at Twice Told Books. Then I admitted--That's a good one.