. >> you have great hope fornate and hope is a theme through much of your writing. i was touched by the storiat th of the book that talk about a couple of trees, survivor in particular. can you tell that story? >> survivor is very dear to me because i was in new york at 911. and they found the one piece of tree that was still alive out of all of the trees that were around those twin towers and it looked like a dead stump, blackened with fire and everything. but some people took it and nurtured it, and this tree now is back at ground zero, and it's a beautiful pair, and i have seen it in blossom but that tree somehow epitomizes the resilience of nature and the passion of people because, so many people said right away, you will never get this tree to grow. but they didn't give up. >> it was also damaged by a storm? wasn't it? >> yes. it had just begun to recover, and i think it was hurricane sandy that tore it down. they rushed out and desperately propped it up. it's had a very dramatic life. >> it survives today. what does that tell us about your hope for the future?