I'm having conferences this week with students trudging in, bleary-eyed, complaining of "paper season."

As I collect 10-15 page masterpieces from them, I wonder how I might respond if placed under the demands of undergraduate education again. Could I keep up with the reading I assign my students? The writing, no problem: I compose pretty quickly these days, especially at a level acceptable for undergrad work. But still, one student just told me that she has three 10-15 pagers due this week.

Could I punch out prose that prodigously, as I once did, or has my adult life made those conditions impossible? And does it mitigate the standards I apply to their work?

The answer to both, I think, is no, but I'm hard pressed to articulate why. I am however, at least temporarily, inspired to return to producing some prose of my own.