BARBARA: America?
RICHARD: I think that is her point, yes.
(Then:)
Is it?
(Jane hesitates, then puts down her plate.)
JANE: What I’m after is: I want to describe or dissect how Americans—court? And marry. How they raise their children. Treat their old people. Dress. Decorate their homes. Eat and entertain. How they spend their money—not on what, but how they address that action, how they think about it, talk about it. How they behave at ceremonies. How they mourn their dead. All of these customs—manners are ways in—to an understanding. Conventions have had to be agreed upon—why are they necessary? What are they protecting? Hiding? I don’t know what.
BARBARA: What do you mean—hiding?
JANE: If you get people to agree to behave in a certain way, then you are trying to get them not to behave in another way—or, and this I’m getting more and more convinced of as I research this—or, what are they trying to disguise?
(Short pause.)
I haven’t settled on a structure. I’m mostly doing individual essays, and hoping it all makes a whole. (Smiles and shrugs) We’ll see.
RICHARD: When’s it due?
JANE: Pretty soon. A first draft. That’s why I’m up here working.
MARIAN: Oh. That’s why.
(She “looks” at Tim.)
RICHARD: And it’s Random House?
(Jane nods.)
JANE: They really liked the pitch. It’s in the air now—all this. Once the Times started that whole Style section some years ago—I think that gave this sort of thing a real legitimacy—as news. There have been a couple of books already. How we see ourselves. Or better, how we wish to see ourselves or be seen. Or rather what we want others not to see in us. What we are pretending to be? What are we hiding?
(Looks to Benjamin who is listening to all this as he eats.)
I even thought of doing an entire chapter—about a dinner party. (Gestures: “like this”) Actually, I was thinking of inviting a group of friends to dinner—a doctor I know, a friend who teaches, my yoga instructor, someone in my building, and so forth. And then analyzing that. Beginning with the generally agreed—where we put our silverware and why. Simple, mundane things we don’t even think about. The napkins. The order of the meal. The chair arrangement. Who sits first. That’s more interesting. Who chooses where who sits. That’s very interesting. Who talks first. Then what is talked about. Among strangers. Among friends. What isn’t talked about.
(Short pause.)
BARBARA (Suddenly): You’re not thinking of using—? (“us”)
JANE: No. No, of course not.
(Then:)
I could if you—
MARIAN: Please. No. Don’t.
BENJAMIN (To Jane): I don’t understand what you are saying.
(They all look at him.)
BARBARA: Jane’s writing a book, Uncle.
BENJAMIN: I heard that. I just have amnesia; I’m not an idiot.
RICHARD: The book’s about etiquette.
MARIAN: How—we talk to each other.
BENJAMIN: And that’s an interesting book?
JANE: I hope so.
BENJAMIN: How people talk to each other? Don’t we know that? Won’t that just seem boring?
JANE: I hope not.
TIM: Jane’s come across a number of interesting historical kinds of manners. That are very—revealing, she thinks. Things people did—customs—I’d never even heard about. I’m not sure what they say about us—
JANE: Maybe nothing. Maybe something.
RICHARD: What do you mean, “historical”—?
TIM (To Jane): Where’s that book you found? You had it in the car.
BARBARA: What book?
TIM (Getting up): I’ll get it from the car.
JANE: Tim—
TIM: They’ll be interested.
(Tim heads off through the kitchen and outside.
Pause.)
BARBARA: A whole chapter about people having dinner? Now I’m going to be self-conscious for the rest of the evening.
JANE: I promise you, Barbara, there are no hidden cameras, and all iPhone microphone apps are off.
BARBARA: Good.
JANE: No one is listening.
MARIAN (To Barbara): What did she just say was off?
BARBARA: I don’t know.
BENJAMIN: What are we doing?
RICHARD: We’re waiting for Tim. He’s going to read something to us. Something that’s very very interesting.
JANE: Don’t build it up.
BENJAMIN: Who’s Tim?
(The others look at each other.)
RICHARD: Tim is Jane’s new boyfriend.
MARIAN (Hesitates, then to Jane): He doesn’t look at all like your husband.
RICHARD: He’s younger.
MARIAN: He looks a bit like you, Richard. There’s a definite resemblance. (Smiles)
JANE: Why are you smiling?
MARIAN (To Benjamin): Tim’s an actor, Uncle Benjamin. But I’ve never heard of him.
JANE: He’s been in a lot of shows. When do you go to New York anyway?
MARIAN: I teach.
JANE: I know.
MARIAN: I do the books for Adam’s lawn business.
JANE: I know.
(Short pause.)
BARBARA (To Jane): What does that say?
JANE:
