“The Most Challenging Question Thrown at Me”

I enjoyed novelist Cornelia Read's report on visiting a high-school writing class:

The most challenging question thrown at me was "do you ever smoke pot to help yourself come up with ideas for your writing?" mostly because there were two parents in the room at the time, not to mention the teacher.

I really didn't want to lie, so I answered "no, because getting stoned has always made me hideously self-conscious, so I never figured it would help much, though I have one friend..."

The rest of Read's answer segues into thoughts on hearing that her novel (roman à clef?) The Crazy School belongs in the children's section of the library. Which eventually takes us to Frances the badger, Goofus and Gallant, and H. R. Pufnstuf.

The slightly disquieting side of my enjoyment is that the regular Oz and Ends reader who emailed me that link is my mother.