A Lying Father Remembered Lovingly

"The aging process is not gradual or gentle," wrote John Mortimer in "The Summer of a Dormouse: A Year of Growing Old Disgracefully. "It rushes up, pushes you over and runs off laughing. No one should grow old who isn’t ready to appear ridiculous."

However, if one is to grow as "ridiculous" as the late creator of Rumpole and other characters eventually did, there has to be some, if not enormous solace in knowing that one has created in life the love among one's children great enough to produce the eulogy his daughter Emily has penned for the man she claimed was having fun living, lying and loving up to his final breath.

Not quite as eloquent, but equally loving is the tribute to a fellow fictionaire, Dominick Dunne, by his acting son Griffin.

The lesson to be learned surely is to raise kids who love you and can write. Good luck with that.