I must learn to trust the Buffistas for all my obscure knowledge needs.

I may be letting you down - the person I heard it from read it in the IHT. So I'm going to search their archives in case the article mentioned the book, but I feel the lead getting cold.

That's all right, Raq, I'm just glad I didn't create the whole concept out of my imagination.

I'm trying to come up with authors who wrote in many genres, or for both children and adults, all under the same name. Joan Aiken is an example -- she wrote The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and a million other children's books, but also wrote Jane Austen "sequels" (before it was in vogue, too) and other adult books, all under the one name.

Any others anyone can think of? I need examples for a column I have to write, and naturally I came up with my hypothesis before I had proof.

Lois Duncan Judy Blume Michael Chabon

Neil Gaiman? Diane Duane? Roald Dahl?

Stephen King wrote a book for kids, or at least for young adults.

Did Lois Duncan write for adults, too? Cool.

Judy Blume is perfect.

Don't know Diane Duane -- I'll look her up. Didn't even think if Roald Dahl.

Possibly, you guys should be writing this column.

I think Stephen King is always writing horror, whatever the audience. Actually, I think a lot of authors branch out into children's books, because they're short and they've already got name recognition, but aren't necessarily writing something "different," just modulating their tone and vocabulary.

You'll find the damnedest names on a children's library shelf (John Lithgow, who is quite good, and also Fred Gwynn, who played Hermann Munster).

Fred Gwynn, who played Hermann Munster

We have one of those -- The King Who Rained.

Actually, I think a lot of authors branch out into children's books, because they're short and they've already got name recognition, but aren't necessarily writing something "different," just modulating their tone and vocabulary.

That's why I hesitate to mention Chabon. I want people who are writing adult and children's book simultaneously (like Joan Aiken), not who used their name recognition as a platform to write stuff they might consider more fun.

I thought she did. Oh, well, I didn't really think of that, AmyLiz. No, not quite like "Wifey" and "Superfudge" Which are both funny, on completely different planets.

You'll find the damnedest names on a children's library shelf (John Lithgow, who is quite good,

It was very surreal to find out that he was at IRA this year as a keynote speaker because of some children's books he wrote. Well, "wrote," anyway.