Fare Forward: Letters from David Markson

June 5 ’06

Symso, gal—

Donno if I mentioned. Did I say that both of your contributions to my new masterpiece made the final cut?—

A. — Don’t do it, Rodya!⁸³

B. — Catherine the Great dying in the royal W.C.⁸⁴

There are, however, no footnoted citations of sources! And I have no acknowledgments page. But I thank you.

Love—

D.

83 “Amid the clutter of multilingual graffiti beside the door to the St. Petersburg garret that is alleged to be the one Dostoyevsky used as a model for Raskolnikov’s: Don’t do it, Rodya!” (23)

84 “Catherine the Great died after having suffered a stroke and fallen from a commode in the royal water closet.” (158)