In the midst of a conversation, some friends asked how long it takes me to write a column. My response: it depends. If I have a topic I “feel,” not very long — say a couple of hours, allowing for ...

I had a great idea for a column this week. Unfortunately, this isn’t it. After about 20 minutes of deep soul-searching, it occurred to me that some of you might be wondering how I write these columns.

People often ask me, How do you think of things to write about every week for your column? Isn’t it hard?” And the answer is, well, yes, it is quite difficult—at first. It’s like riding a bicycle.

Twenty years! I’ve been writing this column for 20 years. As I said back on the 15th anniversary, “except for teaching, that’s the longest time I’ve ever devoted to a single activity.” And I’ve ...