Summary

Chapter 4, entitled “My Brain,” consists entirely of another dialogue written by Zuckerman. Once again, the dialogue occurs between imaginary versions of Zuckerman and Jamie. Zuckerman asks Jamie why she married so young, and Jamie responds that she loves Billy and viewed marriage as an adventure. Jamie says that she and Billy plan to use the solitude of Athena to work productively. Zuckerman asks why Jamie married Billy and not Kliman, and Jamie says that Kliman is too unpredictable and potentially unreliable. Zuckerman bluntly wonders if Billy’s devotion to Jamie is dependent on the fact that they live entirely off of Jamie’s money. Zuckerman asks about Jamie’s youth, and Jamie responds with recollections of her first boyfriend. Jamie talks about writing and how, when the New Yorker accepted a story of hers, she thought she had finally made it as a writer...