Aside: A Word About the Organization of the Lowenman Papers

The organization of the Lowenman Papers was a tedious and difficult process, and involved quite a lot of creative arrangement on my part. No doubt the professional cataloguer would have many a justified criticism of my methods, and to all such criticism, I plead guilty.

            The Lowenman Papers consist, in the main, of three parts: excerpts and citations from existing volumes, Julian Lowenman’s own journal entries, and his correspondence with other academics (?). I have chosen to organize them in such fashion as to provide the smoothest narrative possible, a method which I may describe as roughly chronological, roughly thematic.

            For the sake of clarity and simplicity, the Lowenman Papers are identified in this fashion:

            The letters LP, Lowenman Papers, appear at the heading of each separate document. If the document was culled from the work of another writer, the document will bear the heading LP-ex., meaning that this particular document is excerpted from another source. All documents bearing the heading LP-ex. are numbered according to the order in which I placed them in the text—an admittedly subjective process. Each, hopefully, has its proper reference in the form of a footnote at the bottom of the page on which it appears.

            Those documents removed from his journal bear the heading LP-j., and are numbered in the order in which I found them. He did not date his entries. Thus, LP-j. 1, etc.

            Those documents which I culled from his correspondence are headed LP-c., numbered and dated. They appear, interspersed throughout the text, in chronological order. Thus, LP-c.1: 8/15.

            Each heading appears in boldface print.

            I have also included my own observations, ruminations, and anecdotes concerning the compilation of the Lowenman Papers. Each is identified by Ed., meaning editor’s note.

            Naturally, I bear and accept all responsibility for any shortcomings or mistakes in the Lowenman Papers. Playing the role of a Boswell is not an easy task. Especially when your particular Dr. Johnson is dead. Especially when your particular Dr. Johnson was quite mad. And especially when your particular Dr. Johnson seems to have gone out of his way to be cryptic, frustrating, and mysterious.