Take heart Anthony, I've passed my copy around to several friends and they all love it. Especially the Editor of the Wanneroo Times, here in WA who noticed your ending as a parallel to the beginning of the novel.

Helen

>From: Anthony Lawrence <[log in to unmask]>

>Reply-To: Poetryetc provides a venue for a dialogue relating to poetry and poetics <[log in to unmask]>

>To: [log in to unmask]

>Subject: Re: STIMULUS: THE READER

>Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 10:56:36 -0000

>Hobart being as small as it is, I guess what happened

>a couple of weeks ago is not so amazing: I was at a cafe,

>working on a poem as it happens, and I looked up to find

>a woman at a nearby table reading my novel. Her facial

>expression, as she read, remained neutral. I was both

>intrigued and horrified. Vulnerable. I had to leave,

>with a smoketrail of curiosity following me: was she

>enjoying the book or was she bored? I'll never know.

>The 4th wall was replaced as quickly as it had been removed.

>Tangible proof that there's one reader out there.

>Anthony

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