Today, July 9, 2003, I had a most unusual literary experience. I
purchased (for $2), at a second hand bookstore, an unread copy of a book
yet to be published.

There is a "Friends of the Library" bookstore in the next town that
takes donated books and sells them at tag sale prices to raise money for
the local library. I stopped in there today, and found a trade paper
copy of "Train" by Pete Dexter. I was puzzled because I thought I knew
all his books and this was not one of them. To see it in trade
paperback confused me even more. I pulled it off the shelf and
discovered the words "Advance Reading Copy - Not for Sale" on the cover.
A letter from the publisher was on the free front end paper, announcing
that Dexter, who last published in 1995, had signed with Doubleday. The
copyright page declares it to be a First Edition and the publishing date
is October 2003. The back cover contains some information about the
book, the author and marketing of the book.

I guess I will be the first on my block (well there are less than 30
houses) to read Dexter's new book.


Francis A. Miniter