Bill enters from the study, carrying a thin hardback book. BILL: Look what I found. Isn’t that great? BARBARA: We have copies. BILL: I don’t think I remember a hardback edition. I forgot there was ever a time they published poetry in hardback. Hell, I forgot there was ever a time they published poetry at all. BARBARA: I’m not going to be able to sleep in this heat. BILL: I wonder if this is worth something. BARBARA: I’m sure it’s not. BILL: You never know. First edition, hardback, mint condition? Academy Fellowship, uh . . . Wallace Stevens Award? That’s right, isn’t it? BARBARA: Mm-hm. BILL: This book was a big deal. BARBARA: It wasn’t that big a deal. BILL: In those circles, it was. BARBARA: Those are small circles. BILL (Reads from the book): “Dedicated to my Violet.” That’s nice. Christ . . . I can’t imagine the kind of pressure he must’ve felt after this came out. Probably every word he wrote after this, he had to be thinking, “What are they going to say about this?
