Hi, I'm new to bananafish. I've been meaning to join for some time. Tim O'Connor, your gracious and wise host, is my husband. Tim had suggested that I join. Last week, I promised him I would. So, here I am. I have to admit that I haven't read any of JDS's work in at least a year. I'll be re-reading Carpenters and Nine Stories during the next couple of weeks. I'll probably observe rather than participate until I feel more familiar with the material. I guess I should also mention that I am a book editor, and that I love listening to people talk about literature. I'm always interested in the visceral reactions readers have to great writing, great characters. That's all for now. ren=E9e zuckerbrot (aka Mrs. Tim O'Connor)