The Metropolis Case Leaves Home (Goodbye, and Don't Forget To Write!)

This weekend I read the 'third-pass' proofs of THE METROPOLIS CASE, which I expect to be the last time before it's published in December. A few months ago, when I read the 'second-pass' proofs, I was a bit panicked about all sorts of things (most of them admittedly irrational), but this time I felt calmer. The prose felt much improved after the last round of edits; in the entire manuscript I found only a handful of misplaced commas and other tiny mistakes that didn't interfere with my enjoyment on the whole. When I turned over the last page, I felt satisfied that the book fulfills the many hopes I had for it when I started writing more than ten years ago, after seeing an opera (The Makropulos Case, by Leos Janácek, which Stephen was working on at the Met) about a quasi-immortal singer and thinking that I could use a similar device in a novel that tackled philosophical themes related to ___ and ___, and most importantly the search for love in its many forms (including nonheterosexual, most obviously, but also ___ and ___, all of which have been ignored or at best dismissed as less-than-serious in the post-war period and thus are largely absent from the 'literary canon').
I was recently talking to my brother, who last weekend dropped his oldest daughter off at college. Like many parents, he felt a mix of pride and grief to say goodbye, hoping that he had prepared her to succeed in this new phase while at the same time feeling the passage of time to a degree that's largely absent in our day-to-day lives. We joked (but like many jokes, there was an element of truth) how the novel is playing a similar role for me; I've worked on it (and with it, to the extent it sometimes feels like an independent being, with a mind of its own) for a long time, and now, with hope and trepidation, I'm sending it out into the larger world, where its fate is largely beyond my control.
So, goodbye 'lil novel': I wish you the best and have my fingers crossed that you meet some like-minded souls who take your thoughts and ideas seriously, and that you make many new friends who 'get' you. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself and remember to have a good time; I want you to be happy more than anything else! I hope that you don't run into too many assholes (although rest assured, the world is filled with them) but when you do, try not to take their words personally and think hard before you lash out or seek revenge. If you think of it, remember to call home once in a while (but please don't 'text' -- I want to hear your voice) and let me know how you're doing; if you're not working too hard (and I of all people understand how life can become busy and distracting in the extreme), think about planning a trip home for a few days now and again, so we can laugh about the old days and look forward to those that remain.

Comments

[P. Gerlat]

Best wishes for this project.

[Rob W.]

Can't wait to read it.