You may have heard the story of how I first came to read Walker Percy’s wonderful collection of essays
The Message in the Bottle
, but then again you may not (or you may simply not remember). Back in 1975 (almost fifty years ago!), when that book appeared, I read Hugh Kenner’s review of it in the pages of
National Review
. Before I had even finished the piece, I knew that this was a book I must read at the first opportunity. I called Vroman’s bookstore in Pasadena; no, they did have it coming but they hadn’t received it yet. Then I called B. Dalton in Hollywood. Yes, they had one copy. I asked them to hold it, promising I would be there later that day.