John Barth
Letters
for Shelly
~ ~ ~
1: L
A: Lady Amherst to the Author. Inviting him to accept an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Marshyhope State University. An account of the history of that institution.
B: Todd Andrews to his father. The death and funeral of Harrison Mack, Jr.
C: Jacob Horner to Jacob Horner. His life since The End of the Road. The remarkable reappearance, at the Remobilization Farm, of Joseph Morgan, with an ultimatum.
D: A. B. Cook IV to his unborn child. The origins of the Castines, Cookes, and Burlingames.
E: Jerome Bray to Todd Andrews. Requesting counsel in an action of plagiarism against the Author. His bibliography and biography. Enclosures to the Author, to George III, and to Todd Andrews.
F: Ambrose Mensch to Yours Truly (and Lady Amherst). A de-cla-ra-ti-on and an ex-hor-ta-ti-on. With several postscripts.
G: The Author to the Reader. LETTERS is “now” begun.
I: The Author to Whom It May Concern. Three concentric dreams of waking.
N: The Author to Lady Amherst. Politely declining her invitation.
E: The Author to Lady Amherst. A counterinvitation.
2: E
N: Lady Amherst to the Author. Rejecting his counterinvitation.
O: Lady Amherst to the Author. Reconsidering.
L: Lady Amherst to the Author. Confessing her latest love affair and the excesses of its current stage.
D: Lady Amherst to the Author. Trouble at Marshyhope. Her early relations with several celebrated novelists. Her affair with André Castine, and its issue. Her marriage to Lord Jeffrey Amherst. Her widowing and reduction to academic life.
Y: Todd Andrews to the Author. Acknowledging the latter’s invitation and reviewing his life since their last communication. The Tragic View of things, including the Tragic View.
T: Jacob Horner to Jacob Horner. Progress and Advice.
R: A. B. Cook IV to his unborn child. The history of A. B. Cooke III: Pontiac’s conspiracy.
O: A. B. Cook IV to his unborn child. The history of H. C. Burlingame IV: the first American Revolution.
R: Jerome Bray to Todd Andrews. Reviewing Year O and anticipating LILYVAC II’s first trial printout of the Revolutionary Novel NOTES. With an enclosure to the Author.
W: Ambrose Mensch to Yours Truly and Lady Amherst. THE AMATEUR, or, A Cure for Cancer, by Arthur Morton King.
S: The Author to Todd Andrews. Soliciting the latter’s cooperation as a character in a new work of fiction.
H: The Author to Todd Andrews. Accepting the latter’s demurrer.
I: The Author to Lady Amherst. Accepting her rejection of his counterinvitation.
M: The Author to Lady Amherst. Crossed in the mails. Gratefully accepting her change of mind.
3: T
T: Lady Amherst to the Author. The Third Stage of her affair with Ambrose Mensch. Her latter-day relations with André Castine.
I: Lady Amherst to the Author. More trouble at Marshyhope. Her relations with the late Harrison Mack, Jr., or “George III.”
M: Lady Amherst to the Author. Three miracles in three days. Ambrose’s adventures with the film company. The Fourth Stage of their affair begins.
E: Lady Amherst to the Author. Her introduction to the Menschhaus.
E: Lady Amherst to the Author. Not pregnant. The “prenatal” letters of A. B. Cook IV.
S: Todd Andrews to his father. His life’s recycling. Jane Mack’s visit and confession. 10 R.
I: Jacob Horner to the Author. Declining to rewalk to the end of the road.
L: A. B. Cook IV to his unborn child. His own history to the present writing: the French Revolution, Joel Barlow in Algiers, “Consuelo del Consulado,” Burr’s Conspiracy, Tecumseh’s Indian confederacy. The Pattern.
S: Jerome Bray to Drew Mack. LILYVAC’s LEAFY ANAGRAM.
H: Ambrose Mensch to Yours Truly. A reflection upon History. His defeat by the Director at Ocean City: an Unwritable Sequence. Magda celebrates a certain anniversary.
S: The Author to Jacob Horner. The story of a story called What I Did Until the Doctor Came.
4: T
P: Lady Amherst to the Author. The Fourth Stage of her affair. She calls on A. B. Cook VI in Chautaugua. Ambrose’s Perseus project, and a proposition.
I: Lady Amherst to the Author. The Fourth Stage continues. Filmmaking at Niagara Falls and Old Fort Erie. Dismaying encounters at the Remobilization Farm.
S: Lady Amherst to the Author. Her conversation with “Monsieur Casteene.” A fiasco on Chautaugua Lake. A Visit to Lily Dale, N.Y., Spiritualist Capital of America.
T: Lady Amherst to the Author. The Marshyhope Commencement debacle, and its consequences.
O: Lady Amherst to the Author. The Fourth Stage concludes; the Fifth begins. Magda’s confession. The Gadfly fiasco reenacted: an Unfilmable Sequence.
E: Todd Andrews to his father. Further evidence that his life is recycling: 11 R.
T: Jacob Horner to Jacob Horner. Der Wiedertraum under way.
L: A. B. Cook VI to the Author. Eagerly accepting the Author’s invitation. The Cook/Burlingame lineage between Andrew Cook IV and himself. The Welland Canal Plot.
E: Jerome Bray to his parents and foster parents. His betrayal by Merope Bernstein. His revenge and despair.