come. and then it occurred to me, um, they all got advances, you know? so that s probably the difference. [laughter] yes, sir. the new george washington library at mount vernon [inaudible] in accumulating these papers, would you now consider that to be a presidential library? well, i consider it a presidential library. it s not considered an official presidential library simply because it s not, that has to do with a designation with the national archives. that doesn t mean it s any worse or better or anything like that, all right? it s not part of that federal system. but i haven t been there since they ve refurbished it, but my understanding is it is an incredible library. and so that isn t pejorative in any way, that it s not part of the official. i mean, if i hadn t just stuck to those 13 libraries, i d still be taking this trip, and my wife would have divorced me. [laughter] so, um, now that you ve finished this one, what do you think you re going to write next?
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS: Charles Dickens s daughter once wrote about the many dainty and useful ornaments, gifts from friends and family that he kept on his desk.
Dickens’s unprecedented celebrity made him the most popular novelist of his century but the author of Great Expectations, Bleak House, A Christmas Carol, and dozens of other works was more than just a writer.