第1部分(第3/8 页)

t　it　recurred　to　him　in　the　fall　of　1995；　following　his　return　from　the　Frankfurt　Book　Fair；　a　kind　of　international　trade　show　where　every　day　is　a　showdown　for　foreign　agents　like　Ralph。　He　broached　the　serialization/　chapbook　idea　to　me　along　with　a　number　of　other　matters；　most　of　which　were　automatic　turndowns。

The　chapbook　idea　was　not　an　automatic　turndown；　though；　unlike　the　interview　in　the　Japanese　Playboy　or　the　all…expenses…paid　tour　of　the　Baltic　Republics；　it　struck　a　bright　spark　in　my　imagination。　I　don't　think　that　I　am　a　modern　Dickens…if　such　a　person　exists；　it　is　probably　John　Irving　or　Salman　Rushdie　…　but　I　have　always　loved　stories　told　in　episodes。　It　is　a　format　I　first　encountered　in　The　Saturday　Evening　Post；　and　I　liked　it　because　the　end　of　each　episode　made　the　reader　an　almost　equal　participant　with　the　writer…you　had　a　whole　week　to　try　to　figure　out　the　next　twist　of　the　snake。　Also；　one　read　and　experienced　these　stories　more　intensely；　it　seemed　to　me；　because　they　were　rationed。　You　couldn't　gulp；　even　if　you　wanted　to　（and　if　the　story　was　good；　you　did）。

Best　of　all；　in　my　house　we　often　read　them　aloud…my　brother；　David；　one　night；　myself　the　next；　my　mother　taking　a　turn　on　the　third；　then　back　to　my　brother　again。　It　was　a　rare　chance　to　enjoy　a　written　work　as　we　enjoyed　the　movies　we　went　to　and　the　TV　programs　（Rawhide；　Bonanza。　Route　66）　that　we　watched　together；　they　were　a　family　event　。　It　wasn't　until　years　later