Years before they were destined to meet and separated by 1500 miles, the author’s parents came into possession of the same runaway dog. It is said the dog predicted the author’s birth and the novel he would later write. Reportedly, the dog required humans to bow and pet him using only the left hand.

T. R. Twombly

This recently discovered rare photograph of the author was reportedly taken the morning the author declared himself an emancipated minor.

Encouraging his belief in “the impossible,” here we see the author’s mother demonstrate her ability to bake a cake already frosted.

Man in gas mask

The author’s father, like many “dads” of the day, was often remote.

Possibly due to his propensity to quote French Symbolist poets, the author was frequently invited to all-girl parties.

Halloween Cowboy

Despite repeated acts of civil disobedience, President Lyndon Johnson insisted authorities refer to the young author as “a wonderful boy.”

High Voltage Band

Signed by Capitol Records in the months following the book’s conclusion, the band’s name (author, center) was changed at the request of an unnamed federal agency.

This redacted document accessed through the Freedom of Information Act was written two months before the novel begins. T. R. Twombly’s relationship to back-room presidential politics remains obscure.

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