Finding Forrester Page #4

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has now been scheduled.

For those who choose to take part,

entries must be turned in...

...before spring break.

Meaning, you still have

a few months of procrastination.

Feel free to experiment with

a more proactive approach. The--

Mr. Wallace!

Please.

l had a chance this morning...

...to review the files sent over

by your former school.

Test scores, impressive.

Actual classroom work...

...not so impressive.

ls this...

...the level of work

l should anticipate, Mr. Wallace?

Because if it is...

...it will help me determine whether

l should treat you as a student...

...or as someone here

simply to pursue--

How should l put it?

Other endeavors?

Of course your work will give you

ample opportunity to respond.

Good day, Mr. Wallace.

Just so you know,

you handled that the right way.

How's that?

You didn't say anything.

lt's the ones that do

that run into trouble.

-John Coleridge.

-Jamal Wallace.

So how many people do say something?

And actually stay in Crawford's class?

Not many.

l missed what you said.

l didn't say anything.

You read all these?

No, l just keep them

to impress all my visitors.

All your visitors.

We talk about your book at school.

People have been talking

about it for years.

They just haven't been

saying anything.

Yeah, l think l got it down, though.

l figure you were writing

about how life never works out.

Oh, really? You had to

read a book to figure that out?

Yeah, but Crawford's

messed up on it anyhow.

Says the guy having trouble

after the war is really you.

Some symbolism sh*t for the problems

you were having with everybody.

Robert Crawford?

Yeah, l think it's bullshit, though.

l think there really was

somebody else.

Mr. Johannsen?

Here.

Mr. Massie! Another trip

to your favorite destination.

l've got four bags today.

l can leave them.

Oh, no, no.

Come right in.

How you doing, Mr. Johannsen?

At least a half-hour

before the sun goes down.

Then you can begin your

panic-driven quest back to Manhattan.

This should last you till next week.

Your mail is in...

...this one.

-Mr. Johannsen?

-Essentials are in--

Essentials?

l took care of your bills, and

l put all the copies in this one.

The phone company wonders

if you still want service...

...as you haven't had a call in six--

Okay.

l got your socks

for the next couple weeks...

...which are in this one.

And l have your latest check

from accounting.

They wanted to know if you

cashed the last one.

lt's still showing up outstanding.

Not as outstanding as it once was.

l'm sorry, l didn't realize

you had company.

Oh, yes. We were just

having a discussion...

...on German automobile history.

-Care to join us?

-No, l'm in a tow-away.

Of course you are.

See you next week?

Not if l'm lucky.

Why not give that guy a break

and do your own shopping?

-And why are your socks inside out?

-Because socks are badly designed.

The seams are on the inside.

Hurt the toes.

ln some cultures, it's considered good

luck to wear something inside out.

And you believe that?

No, but it's like praying.

What do you risk?

And l do go outside.

How do you think those windows

get cleaned?

Now, about this...

...professor of yours.

How did it feel having him

tell you what you can't do?

-Like he knew he was better than me.

-Then let's show him what you can do.

Why are the words we write

for ourselves...

...always so much better than those

we write for others? Move.

Sit.

Go ahead.

Go ahead and what?

Write.

What are you doing?

l'm writing. Like you'll be...

...when you start punching those keys.

ls there a problem?

No, l'm just thinking.

No. No thinking.

That comes later.

You write your first draft...

...with your heart...

...and you rewrite with your head.

The first key to writing...

...is to write.

Not to think.

Jesus!

ls there a chance you might sit down?

''A Season of Faith's Perfection.''

-What's this?

-Start typing that.

Sometimes the simple rhythm

of typing...

...gets us from page one to page two.

And when you begin to feel

your own words...

...start typing them.

Punch the keys, for God's sake!

Yes!

Yes!

You're the man now, dog!

Jamal...

...whatever we write

in this apartment...

...stays in this apartment.

No exceptions.

Okay, let's push it, guys. Come on.

-Heads up.

-Yo, D!

That's a foul, man.

-l had the spot.

-You'll know when you got the spot.

Hey, hey, gentlemen!

-Hey, hey!

-Our season begins in one week.

lf l see this one more time, you'll

shoot fouls to see who runs today.

ls that understood?

ls that understood?

One.

Two.

Three.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Thirteen.

Twenty-nine.

Forty-eight.

Forty-nine.

Hold it.

One more.

That's one of the most impressive

things l've ever seen on a court.

Why do l know it wasn't good

enough for either of you?

Shower up and get out of here.

You may think we're the same.

We're not.

Oh, Mr. Wallace.

Mr. Wallace!

-Professor Crawford.

-The latest paper you turned in....

lt showed quite a bit of improvement

from your earlier work.

-Thank you.

-Yes.

-How long did it take you to write it?

-l wrote it last night.

Last night!

Well, l have some things

to finish up here.

Good day, Mr. Wallace.

That's right. Select again.

-''Birds ofa Feather'' for 600.

-Answer:

Vibrant in color, its name borrows

from this Vivien Leigh character.

-The scarlet tanager.

-lt's, ''What is the scarlet tanager?''

What is the scarlet tanager?.

Gotta know the rules to play.

lt was written by a writer

you have never heard of.

''Thy duty, winged flame of spring

ls but to love and fly and sing.''

He was writing about the song

of the tanager.

A song about new seasons, new life.

That's James Lowell, man.

l know who he is.

''l'll stay with 'Poor Assumptions'

for 800, Alex.''

You ever see any

scarlet tanagers around here?

They don't stray that far

from the park.

So your professor wasn't exactly

full of praise this afternoon.

No, not exactly.

Well, there's something you should

know about Robert Crawford.

He wrote a book

a few years after mine.

And all the publishers rejected it,

which was the right decision.

And instead of writing another one...

...he took a job

teaching others how to write.

How you know all that?

Just keep in mind that

bitterly disappointed teachers...

...can be either very effective

or very dangerous.

All right, this is

the first step tonight, guys.

''Mailor'' on three.

One, two, three, Mailor!

Gold.

Black.

Up here, up straight and high.

Not yet.

-What up, J?

-What up? You was in there tonight?

Twenty-six points.

Eight of 1 0 from the floor.

Ten of 1 0 from the line.

-l'm supposed to miss that?

-All right, it was hot.

You were putting some serious ink

on that stat page, man.

What's going on?

Yo, brothers was going

by Red Rose, man.

l told them we catch up.

Friday night, kid.

Come on. Come on.

Hey, Jamal, you plan

on doing that every night?

-Worked out, l guess.

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