Correspondence: Phil Austin (May 15, 1990)

May 15, 1990

Greg,

Thanks for sending me your story In The First Place … Always a fan of good knife stories since my fascination with Borges started years ago, I read your tale with glee. I find first person narration really difficult myself and I think you’ve pulled it off here. Where in God’s name do you sell something like this? Or do you? These are mystical questions, of course, and do not deserve replies.

Life continues on here in the world of slavery to the Grateful Dead. I seem to be about to embark on a third draft, having actually gotten paid for two. I am a genius only for the moment, awaiting the time when — inevitably — two or more people at Warners get together and realize that none of them understand the script and what’s more, don’t even like it. Luckily, it’s written entirely in Arabic and defies transcription, much less translation. This will delay them for only moments, however, and soon I will be relegated to the avant garde, far behind the eight ball as usual.

Hope you’re doing well and that the God damn Volkswagen book has not swallowed you up.

[Phil]

Me