Pico Iyer's 'Autumn Light' Confronts Life's Impermanence

“Bright though they are in color, blossoms fall. Which of us escapes the world of change?” Travel writer Pico Iyer hears Japanese schoolchildren reciting these words as Americans might recite the Pledge of Allegiance, an anecdote shared in his latest book, “Autumn Light: Season of Fire and Farewells.” The book explores the Japanese culture of impermanence in light of his father-in-law’s sudden death. Pico Iyer joins Forum to talk about his experience confronting change and life’s fragility.