Green Bananas, the book

It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that I'm writing a book. I'm always writing a book (though almost never finishing one). Over the years, I've tried SF a couple of times, mysteries ditto, at least one gawdawful romance, and three non-fiction, the only ones that got published.

So it seems a natural progression to use my experiences over the past year as the basis for a book on what it's like to have pancreatic cancer. (You can tell already that it's a real upper.) I don't see it as following chronological order, because, so far at least, there's been no real story: no building up of tension to an exciting climax. Thank heavens.

It's been more like what the flight attendant tells you as the plane gets ready to take off. In case of a change of pressure, air masks will drop down from the overhead compartment. Put yours on and breathe normally. It's been a year of trying to breathe normally, which doesn't make for a lot of dramatic tension. On the other hand, I've had amusing, touching, annoying, and scary experiences, all seen through the lens of the cancer.

I enjoy writing about them in the blog, and now I'm enjoying expanding what I think are some of the best into a series of short essays, a combination of memoir, how-to, and meditations.

There might even be an audience out there. If it's true that one person out of four is touched by cancer, maybe a quarter of the population would buy the book? Even more, because with luck they'd all buy it for each other. When I sell the movie rights can I insist that Meryl Streep plays me? But I'm getting ahead of myself.

It would help me a lot to know what sort of subjects you'd like to see in such a book. Are there blog entries that stuck in your mind? (Please say yes.) Are there things I haven't touched on that you've wondered about? Have I said things you totally disagree with?

I promise to put your name in the acknowledgments -- or, if you prefer, I promise never to tell anyone.