『A Literary Ending - Chapter Twelve - The Invisible Wall』のカバーアート

A Literary Ending - Chapter Twelve - The Invisible Wall

A Literary Ending - Chapter Twelve - The Invisible Wall

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On a day when Jerry was lucid, he called Laura to provide more information on his history. She coached him on what she’d need to make his story resonate, so as not to be a technical thesis, but a readable book for the general public. She asked for his approval to contact individuals on the list she had compiled from his iPhone, including that of his doctor, lawyer, and family members who might have more information on Jerry regarding his aunt’s and grandmother’s illnesses and their possible early cause of death.“My mind’s fuzzy now, Laura. Please tell me what you need and I’ll get a notarized letter written that will enable you to be my proxy for all of my medical and legal information.”“Working with what I have so far,” said Laura, “I’ve begun an outline draft that includes your early childhood, education, and literary accomplishments prior to the diagnosis of your illness. I’m currently drafting the segment that I’m familiar with of your disease’s progression through FFI, and then will follow your attempts, until your death, to save your daughters and descendants from the disease that is destined to kill you.”“A happy story, isn’t it?” said Jerry cynically.“It’s the story we need to tell, with a conclusion for you that’s inevitable.”“I get it, Laura. How far into the future do you intend to follow the story?”“I’m not quite sure, since I have my own personal limitations. The truth is that the conclusion may extend beyond my ability to follow it, and that the story will need to be completed by a younger and healthier writer. Hopefully, the code to your disease will be cracked in plenty of time to save your girls, perhaps even before the book goes to press.”“Yes, that would be the best outcome.”“Not necessarily. A better outcome would be that science gets ahead of the disease due to the press coverage about the book’s completion. Speed is of the essence, in order to assure your daughters that they can rest easy without thoughts of their possible fate overwhelming them and limiting their lives in young adulthood.”Laura reflected on her own health issues that had forced her to quit college, a period in her life that still haunted her. “I truly hope that the disease can be conquered before your girls become defined by it. I fought my battle through the writing of Seabiscuit and Unbroken; many times it seemed impossible to just get out of bed. Until this day, it still does.”“I trust that you’ll make it through the book, Laura. Dave and Tina will work with you as a team to provide the publicity needed. Online chats weren’t as ubiquitous back when you wrote your books. And with AI as a researcher, you’ll not have to wait for newspaper clippings to be mailed to you from archives.”“I’m not so sure I like all of the new ways of doing things,” said Laura.“Even though you weren’t in top-notch shape when you visited, it was to my advantage to have met with you in person, and get to know you outside of a computer screen or a phone call.”“The world’s not going to slow down to accommodate us,” answered Jerry. “I used to enjoy doing my editing with pencils and red felt-tipped markers. I’ve missed those days when I could personally explain in a short note to a writer the salient points of a manuscript, as well as the room for improvement he or she could incorporate into a final draft. In recent years, all I get to see is an AI-written synopsis and 20 pages of a draft in .pdf format. Our desks are piled high with these printed segments, along with complete drafts by writers who we know to be reliably marketable. It never ends,” added Jerry, who for the moment seemed perfectly capable of continuing with his work.Laura then used this moment of clarity to find out more about Jerry’s childhood, teen and college years, previous jobs he’d held, and his introduction to his wife at the Llanerch Diner.“I’m captivated by stories with great characters,” offered Jerry. “You are too, from what I gather from your books. Cheryl was one of those characters, right out of a Mickey Spillane novel: red and white paper cap, wide stiff-collared blouse, a crisp white apron over pleated black slacks, and red shoes with high heels—always high heels. I was just one of the guys at the diner who adored her Philly accent and the napkin that peeked out of her vest pocket. Most of the guys were married, but I wasn’t. And how I missed her on the days I couldn’t be there for breakfast, or on the rare occasions when she took the morning off.”“Sounds like you were smitten immediately,” said Laura with a slight giggle in her voice.“I was,” answered Jerry. “But it took some time to reel her in. Despite her allure, she was damaged from her early years of abuse and strife.”Jerry continued telling Laura his wife’s story until he zoned out and Laura had to stop the interview.“Get some rest, Jerry. This was good. Whenever you ...
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