The Floating Opera

Todd Andrews sits down to write a book. He acknowledges the reader directly, aware someone else is reading his work. Keeping himself on track will be tricky, as he can be emotionally evasive and tangential, but he insists he isn’t eccentric, despite what his friends think. No matter what, Todd adheres to his personal principles. Todd slowly introduces the reader to the story, rather than plunge right into the drama. He gets off track quickly and still needs to learn how to write: “Where were we? I was going to comment on the significance of the viz. I used earlier, was I? Or explain my ‘piano-tuning metaphor? Or my weak heart? Good heavens, how does one write a novel!” (2). Despite his frustrations with the writing process, Todd is determined to write about a special June day in 1937.

Todd is in his fifties, slim, and a partner at the law firm Andrews, Bishop, and Andrews. He lives in his hometown of Cambridge, Maryland, and only lived elsewhere for college and when he was enlisted in the Army during WWI. Todd is a lawyer, but doesn’t feel that is his defining role. He has lived his life freely, by his own accord—curious, but never passionate: “I’m interested in any number of things, enthusiastic about nothing” (4).