On Friday morning I was walking through the Skyline High School parking lot, an old copy of The Color Purple on hand, when I got the call about Kim Statham’s resignation.

As much as I hoped my editor would ask me to stay and cover Alice Walker’s talk about writing and life, breaking news pulled me away.

Walker came with LaToya London, a Skyline graduate who stars in the musical. The author announced an essay contest themed “How I Changed My Own Life,” which is open to Bay Area middle and high school students. Essays are due by midnight Oct. 6 – they’re supposed to be 500 words.

Talk about unlucky timing. Maybe next time.