Marilyn Brant: According to Jane

Jane(sniffing) : That is utter nonsense. I could always keep my characters under control. They said or did nothing without my consent. And certainly nothing unseemly.

Marilyn: Well, Jane, that’s because you’re The Master. We all want to be like you.

Ellie(nodding) : Yeah. You rule.

Jane: Ladies, you know how I distrust flattery and charm. And I do not tolerate such disingenuousness without mockery.

Marilyn: We know. But in this case, we’re being honest and sincere. Nothing but the greatest admiration would entice an aspiring novelist to spend four years drafting and revising a story intended to honor another writer’s influence. To a very large extent, you’re why I’m a writer, Jane. This book is to thank you for sharing your astute observations and your extraordinary perceptiveness with me. For enriching my life beyond words on a page. For giving me three-dimensional characters to love for a lifetime. I can’t hope to match your contribution to literature, but how else could I express my gratitude except to attempt to inspire and entertain someone else, sometime, somewhere?

Ellie(flipping to a new notebook page) : Oooh, Marilyn, that’s good. Let me write that down.

Marilyn: Thanks, Ellie. I’d appreciate that…