---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 12/18/89 Calvin asks Hobbes if he'll help…"
description: "\"“12/18/89 Calvin asks Hobbes if he'll help him write a book. Calvin says this book will be like historical fiction. He's writing a fictional autobio..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/steve-kurtz-58635_books_12-18-89-calvin-asks-hobbes-if-he-ll-hel_2627005.jpg"
---

#  12/18/89 Calvin asks Hobbes if he'll help him write a…

![“12/18/89 Calvin asks Hobbes if he'll help him write a book. Calvin says this book will be like historical fiction. He's writing a fictional autobiography. He tells Hobbes it's the story of his life with a lot of parts completely made up. Hobbes asks why he'd want to make up his whole life. Calvin…” quote by Steve Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/steve-kurtz-58635_books_12-18-89-calvin-asks-hobbes-if-he-ll-hel_2627005.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/steve-kurtz-58635_books_12-18-89-calvin-asks-hobbes-if-he-ll-hel_2627005.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/steve-kurtz-58635_books_12-18-89-calvin-asks-hobbes-if-he-ll-hel_2627005.jpg)

> ““12/18/89  Calvin asks Hobbes if he'll help him write a book.  Calvin says this book will be like historical fiction.  He's writing a fictional autobiography.  He tells Hobbes it's the story of his life with a lot of parts completely made up.  Hobbes asks why he'd want to make up his whole life.  Calvin replies that in his book, he has a flame thrower.””

[Steve Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-kurtz/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Calvin imagines a fictional autobiography with fantastical elements, reflecting creative imagination.

**In simple terms:** Imagination creates fictional lives.

Key Takeaway

Embrace creative storytelling.

Themes

imagination fiction creativity

Mood

playful thoughtful

Type

comic philosophical

When to use this quote

- writing
- teaching
- playful learning

Key Concepts

literature psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How does fiction help understand self?
- When is imagination harmful?

A Different Perspective

May blur reality and fantasy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Asks Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks-hobbes-2157407/) [Book Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-calvin-2157405/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Calvin Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calvin-asks-2157406/) [Fictional Autobiography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fictional-autobiography-2157408/) [Historical fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical-fiction/) [Hobbes Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hobbes-asks-2157404/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Whole life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-life/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/)

## Related quotes

> [“The truth is heavier than a sword.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naiyem-chowdhury-rony/the-truth-is-heavier-than-a-sword/)

[Naiyem Chowdhury Rony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naiyem-chowdhury-rony/)

> [ “Most of \[her ashes\] fell into the river in a long gray curtain. But some was caught by the wind and blown upward toward… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-cutter/most-of-her-ashes-fell-into-the-river-in-a-long-gray-curtain-but-some/)

[Kimberly Cutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-cutter/)

> [Obviously, I love to do both contemporary and historical fiction. When a hint of a story grabs me, I try to go with it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/obviously-i-love-to-do-both-contemporary-and-historical-fiction-when/)

[Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/)

> [“Love, I think, is by necessity constructed of a ladder of lies you climb together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-elkins/love-i-think-is-by-necessity-constructed-of-a-ladder-of-lies-you/)

[Kimberly Elkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-elkins/)

> [“When you fear nothing, you have nothing to fear”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-f-chandler/when-you-fear-nothing-you-have-nothing-to-fear/)

[S.F. Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-f-chandler/)

> [“Right now, is not the time to strike at the Romans, but it will come, and we will all rise and wipe out the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-kramer/right-now-is-not-the-time-to-strike-at-the-romans-but-it-will-come/)

[Michael G. Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-kramer/)

> [“This book would be a great addition to a classroom library, especially considering its emphases on timeless and critical topics like discrimination and prejudice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-lovejoy/this-book-would-be-a-great-addition-to-a-classroom-library-especially/)

[Sharon Lovejoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-lovejoy/)

> [“She ran the harder and zagged more erratically, and in the wreckage left from the hurricane the girl misjudged her path and ran straight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-snoek-brown/she-ran-the-harder-and-zagged-more-erratically-and-in-the-wreckage/)

[Samuel Snoek-Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-snoek-brown/)

> [“People think blood red, but blood don't got no colour. Not when blood wash the floor she lying on as she scream for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/people-think-blood-red-but-blood-don-t-got-no-colour-not-when-blood/)

[Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/)

> [“Altogether, the first glimpse of his bride-which should have come as no surprise to Alex, standing there looking so lean and handsome himself-nearly brought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-de-la-cruz/altogether-the-first-glimpse-of-his-bride-which-should-have-come-as/)

[Melissa de la Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-de-la-cruz/)

> [When I turned 35, I thought, 'Mozart was dead at 36, so I set the bar: I'm going to start writing a book on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/when-i-turned-35-i-thought-mozart-was-dead-at-36-so-i-set-the-bar-i-m/)

[Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/)

> [“Whatever befalls us, we will endure it together. I clutch my longbow and dagger close to my side. My last thoughts linger on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-noce/whatever-befalls-us-we-will-endure-it-together-i-clutch-my-longbow/)

[Mark Noce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-noce/)

> [“A Quote from Monty's journal in GOD MUST BE WEEPING. "I felt as anonymous as a grain of sand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-winston/a-quote-from-monty-s-journal-in-god-must-be-weeping-i-felt-as/)

[J.D. Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-winston/)

> [“I know a feeling like that only comes once in a lifetime, and I think you should follow your heart’s desires. I believe in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmad-ardalan/i-know-a-feeling-like-that-only-comes-once-in-a-lifetime-and-i-think/)

[Ahmad Ardalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmad-ardalan/)

> [“They are subjected to all manner of taxes: the tithe, the hearth tax and the capitation tax. When all those are paid, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-scarrow/they-are-subjected-to-all-manner-of-taxes-the-tithe-the-hearth-tax/)

[Simon Scarrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-scarrow/)

## More by Steve Kurtz

> [“05/13/92  Calvin answers the phone by saying they can't come to the phone.  He says to leave a message at the click.  He hangs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-kurtz/05-13-92-calvin-answers-the-phone-by-saying-they-can-t-come-to-the/)

[Steve Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-kurtz/)

> [“Hobbes tells Calvin that he's heard girls are made of sugar, spice, and everything nice, while boys are made of snips, snails, and puppy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-kurtz/hobbes-tells-calvin-that-he-s-heard-girls-are-made-of-sugar-spice-and/)

[Steve Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-kurtz/)

> [“06/11/92  Calvin calls the library with a disguised voice.  He is looking for vulgar synonyms for body functions.  They hang up on him.  Calvin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-kurtz/06-11-92-calvin-calls-the-library-with-a-disguised-voice-he-is/)

[Steve Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-kurtz/)

> [“it's easy to draw Calvin.  You just make a big mouth and add some hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-kurtz/it-s-easy-to-draw-calvin-you-just-make-a-big-mouth-and-add-some-hair/)

[Steve Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-kurtz/)

[Explore all 5 Steve Kurtz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-kurtz/)

## More Books quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/)

[Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/)

> [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/)

[Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/)

[Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/)

[Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/)

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/)

[Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/)

> [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/)

[Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/)

[Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“12/18/89  Calvin asks Hobbes if he'll help him write a book.  Calvin says this book will be like historical fiction.  He's writing a fictional autobiography.  He tells Hobbes it's the story of his life with a lot of parts completely made up.  Hobbes asks why he'd want to make up his whole life.  Calvin replies that in his book, he has a flame thrower.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Steve Kurtz"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-kurtz/12-18-89-calvin-asks-hobbes-if-he-ll-help-him-write-a-book-calvin/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Books"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-kurtz/12-18-89-calvin-asks-hobbes-if-he-ll-help-him-write-a-book-calvin/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/steve-kurtz-58635_books_12-18-89-calvin-asks-hobbes-if-he-ll-hel_2627005.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/steve-kurtz-58635_books_12-18-89-calvin-asks-hobbes-if-he-ll-hel_2627005.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/steve-kurtz-58635_books_12-18-89-calvin-asks-hobbes-if-he-ll-hel_2627005.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“12/18/89 Calvin asks Hobbes if he'll help him write a book. Calvin says this book will be like historical…” — Steve Kurtz",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Steve Kurtz",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-kurtz/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“12/18/89  Calvin asks Hobbes if he'll...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-kurtz/12-18-89-calvin-asks-hobbes-if-he-ll-help-him-write-a-book-calvin/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-kurtz/12-18-89-calvin-asks-hobbes-if-he-ll-help-him-write-a-book-calvin/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
