Kickoff of M&D Grand Tour

[Paul DiFilippo]

Well, friends, here's hell for you.  Got my review copy of hard-
bound M&D (not the precious galley) on Sat., 4-26, a few days before
the grand release, and I can't read it for several weeks, since I'm
in the middle of heavy reviewing (IE, every spare minute
spent reading other lesser books).  But let me say that I did peruse
the peripheral matter and the first two pages of text, and want
to toss out these thoughts.  Needless to say, no spoilers.
1)  The official Library of Congress catalog data has the book
cross-reffed under the names of Mason and Dixon, natch, but also
under "US History--colonial period", "Surveying--US History",
"British--US--History", "Fronteir and pioneer life--Pennsylvania",
and "Surveyors--US" [abbreviations mine].  Now, how farcical is this?
Can one picture any grad student, for instance, doing their thesis
on the history of US surveying, citing TRP's M&D as a source?
Library science folks--account for yourselves!
2)  The dedication:  "For Melanie, and for Jackson".  Strictly
sic here.  Now, unriddle this one.  Does "Jackson" cynically
equal 40's hepster slang for "money"?  Why split Melanie Jackson's
name into two parts, if that is indeed what's been done?
3)  Book opens in "This Christmastide of 1786", year of death of 
Charles Mason, with Dixon already dead in 1779.  Does this mean
entire book to be a flashback?  What does this say, Thanatoidially
speaking?
Well, hope this gets our massive avalance of reaction and criticism
off to an interesting start.  But I fear I shan't be chiming in
for several weeks!

--
Paul Di Filippo & Deborah Newton/2 Poplar St./Prov., RI 02906
"So far as the interests of the capitalist go it does not matter
whether he invests his money at home or abroad; it does not matter
whether his goods are manufactured in London or Timbuctoo." HG Wells