Genius Page #2

"Sounds, and sweet airs

that give delight

and hurt not?"

"Sometimes a thousand

twangling instruments

"will hum about mine ears,

"and sometimes voices

"that, if I then had

waked after long sleep

"will make me sleep again."

I have a thought

about the book, o lost.

I think we should

discuss the title.

I don't know that

it truly captures

the meat of your book.

Here, imagine

you're a reader.

You're wandering

through a bookstore

and lots of books

and you see a book titled

trimalchio in west egg

and you see one

titled the great gatsby.

Which are you

going to pick up?

Gatsby.

That's why Scott changed

his original title.

He knew it needed

a bit more meat.

It's your book,

just give it a think.

Here we are.

My god, Max!

It's a mansion.

It is so nice

to finally meet you,

Mr. wolfe.

Max has told us so much.

Tom! It's tom.

Please.

And nice to meet you.

Every man Jack of you.

Or "girl Jack,"

i should say.

Max has been circumspect

about all these

beautiful daughters.

A bounteous sea

of loveliness.

Max tells us

you're working

on a new book.

I'm nothing if not

a big old octopus.

An octopus.

One arm still

wrapped around o lost,

while another one

sneaks over here

through the briny deep

to write the new book.

I guess you could say

I'm... I'm tentacular.

What's the new one about?

It's about America.

All of it.

I'm trying to

capture everything.

Every city and village

and stone and leaf

and man and child.

And every farm and flower,

every river.

It's about

the one acetylene torch,

white, bright truth

that burns in the heart

of every man in this country.

And that is the search

for a true father.

I don't mean

biological father.

I'm not talking

about sperm.

I mean, I search for the need

of a father of our spirit.

It's about every single thing

that makes this country great.

It's mammoth!

Max says

the only ideas

worth writing about

are the big ideas.

Big ideas,

fewer words.

You see,

I'm lost without him.

Aren't we all?

You know I'm a writer, too?

That so?

Max didn't tell you?

Mmm.

I've been working on a play

for quite some time now.

It's about pauline,

Napoleon's sister.

Historical pageant,

is it?

Well, it's attempting

to be more modern.

I wrote a play once.

It was not a happy experience,

i can tell you that.

I found it

an anemic form,

lacking the multi-colored

cloak of prose.

So I dumped the form

and returned to my novels.

Do you have a title

for your new book?

Your daddy and i

have considered a bunch.

Right now we're thinking about

of time and the river.

"The river" 'cause

that word just reminds

me of my father.

The river running

away from his door

and right back again.

That sounds like

quite a long book.

Don't say that, aline.

I'll see you tomorrow.

Keep yourself ready for me.

Goodnight. Goodnight.

This should

do you nicely.

I'll see you

in the morning.

Max.

Thank you

for tonight.

I hope I didn't

offend anyone.

I so want your family

to like me.

Don't worry.

Of course not.

I'm not a circus animal.

See, I know I seem

like a freak.

Too loud,

too grandiose,

not quite real.

That's who I am.

That's how I got

out of asheville,

by making noise.

I thrashed my way out.

But I feel things

like a real person.

So...

...from caliban's heart,

i say this.

In all my life,

well, till I met you,

i never had a friend.

If we nail down

Ben's death today,

then, hell,

we're within hollering

distance of the end.

Aline!

Max.

Let me introduce you.

This is Mrs. Bernstein.

How do you do?

Mr. Perkins.

Tom has told me

so much about you.

She's the first person

who told me my writing

was worth anything.

Hell, she's the whole

reason for our book.

I thank you for that.

We were expected

last night.

Oh, I told you...

It was embarrassing

for me.

You know I hate

those theatrical affairs.

And you know

i didn't want

to go alone.

If you'll excuse me.

All those actors

make me feel awkward.

You know that!

I told you i

wasn't gonna come.

We will

continue this alone.

I'll come by

around 2:
00.

2:
00. Perfect. Thanks.

Come on.

Good day,

Mr. Perkins.

You are so mad at me.

No, I'm not.

I'm not mad at you.

There it is.

Hmm.

This is our last chance

before we go to the printer.

So I'll ask you again.

Have you thought

about another title?

You'll hate it.

Try me.

Now, I'm

a scribner's bestseller,

I figured I deserve

a little of the high life.

Say it again, Max.

Fifteen thousand

copies this month.

Oh.

Aline,

you hear that?

Mmm-hmm.

Not even the economy

of the entire country

crumbling around our ankles

is hurting my book.

Have you read

tom's book,

Mrs. Bernstein?

Yes, Mrs. Perkins,

it's dedicated to me.

I wouldn't have

been able to do it

without my sweet jewess.

She bought the paper

and the pencils.

- And paid for the typist.

- That's enough.

That's enough.

She put a roof

over my head

and food in my

prodigious belly.

Hell, y'all know how

much I love to eat.

You must be very

proud of the book,

to see all your

faith rewarded.

Our faith.

It's our faith now,

isn't it, Mr. Perkins?

Tom couldn't have

done it without you.

That's not true.

You needn't play

at humble pie with me.

Tom speaks of

your contribution

with such passion.

He really can't seem

to stop talking about you.

"Max says this.

Max says that."

Easy, girl.

Easy, girl.

"Max, Max, Max."

No, we should

give Mr. Perkins

all of the credit.

I mean, after all, he is

the genius who made all

of your dreams come true.

He's the one who shaped

that massive collection

of words into a...

Into a marketable

bestseller,

putting it into

the eager hands

of readers everywhere.

I mean, that is

quite a triumph

for Mr. Perkins, hmm?

The work is tom's.

He deserves to enjoy it.

Really?

Is that what

tom deserves?

Leave Max alone.

I'm not speaking to you,

I'm speaking to your elder.

You should learn

to trust your elders.

They know what's best.

They should also

behave in a manner

appropriate to their years.

You're Thomas wolfe?

I'm reading your book.

It's a masterpiece.

Is it, now?

Very much.

Look, um, I have

some friends who are

dying to meet you.

You don't mind

if I steal him

for a tick or two?

Of course you don't.

Oh, not at all.

After you.

Okay. I'm Willow.

Nice to meet you.

What a pleasure.

Good evening.

This is Thomas wolfe.

No, it's my pleasure.

Good evening.

Nice to meet you.

You don't know what they're

like, the state asylums.

Grotesque.

I don't have the words.

There...

There are no words

in my lexicon.

One word, no flourishes.

Grotesque.

The screaming is

constant and so...

Desolate.

They don't have

enough toilets.

I can't let Zelda

stay in such a place.

I know.

But private asylums

are expensive

and I know gatsby

didn't make any money.

But I'm up

against it, Max.

Scribner's can't give you

any more advances.

The post won't even take

any more of my stories.

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