Copyright © 1999 by John Vernon
All rights reserved
For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to trade.permissions@hmhco.com or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016.
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Vernon, John, date.
A book of reasons/ John Vernon
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (pp. 259–72).
ISBN 0-395-94477-5
1. Vernon, John, 1943– —Family. 2. Novelists, American—20th century—Family relationships. 3. Collectors and collecting—Psychological aspects. 4. Eccentrics and eccentricities—United States. 5. Brothers—Death—Psychological aspects. 6. Recluses—United States. I. Title.
PS3572 E76Z465 1999
813'.54—dc2l
[B] 99-15173 CIP
Lines from “The Four Wishes of Saint Martin” are from Gallic Salt:
Eighteen Fabliaux, translated from the Old French by Robert Harrison.
Copyright © 1974 by the University of California Press.
Reprinted by permission of the author.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
To protect the privacy of friends and family,
I’ve changed some names of people
and places in this book.
eISBN 978-0-547-99514-4
v2.0518