To my dear friend Arlene Moscovitch kindred spirit and book sharer since third grade
CONTENTS I SUMMER 1952 QUESTIONS What Franny Knew 3 II AUTUMN 1952 CORRESPONDENCE The Note from Nowhere 13 What Fleabrain Knew 17 Franny’s Answer 20 Waiting 26 Other Things Fleabrain Knew 37 Believing 39 By the Light of the Moon 42 The Bookcase 44 The Vista from Alf’s Left Ear 50 Revenge Then Disaster 53 Last Words 56 Nothing Then Something 58 Sparky’s Finest 62 Nee-cheh 72
III WINTER 1952 53 ADVENTURES The Bath 77 The Meeting 84 A Ride in the Night 91 FB Saliva 1 98 What the Professor Knew 103 Blisters 106 Holiday Headlines 116 Truths of the Universe 120 How Did Our Cars Travel Without Us 129 FB Saliva 2 130 Miniaturized 137 Poster Child 145 Proud Pittsburgh 154 Dr Engel Who Thought He Knew Everything 155 Horsey Horsey 160 Happy Birthday to Franny 161 FB Saliva 1-X 166 A Wondrous Travel Journal 168 What Lightning Knew 173 Who Is the Gateway Angel 178
IV SPRING 1953 HOPE What the World Knew Finally 183 FB Saliva 2-X 191 The Good News and the Bad 196 Reading 205 Professor Doctor Gutman and the Pack 207 Rereading 214 Rereading 215 The Buckeye Amendments 218 Happy for Her 224 What Fleabrain Knew but Wished He Didn’t 228 An Envelope Like Many Others 241 No Wheelchair 246 Three Little Words 250 Zadie’s TOTU 253 A Statement 258 Author’s Note 265 Bibliography 273 Other Resources 276 Songs 277 Acknowledgments 278
