On page vii FXC lets the reader know she will be annotating the book, which is strange because no other books by Straka have annotations. Also, she emphasises the fact that the the “focus on the writer and not the work dishonors both.” This is important because FXC tries to disprove all the theories about Straka’s identity throughout the whole book. So it is on this page that FXC actually begins to misguide the reader from any of the potential candidates and justifies her footnotes, covering up the real reason for the notes: communicating with Straka.

Eric finds her radical position strange even when he reads the book before his “conversation” with Jen starts. When Caldeira says that focusing on the writing is dishonorable, he notes in pencil:

Why, when the Q. of identity is essential in the books themselves?

Also, on this page we notice that on their first round of notes on this page, Jen and Eric still didn’t know FXC was a woman, because when Jen asks what FX stands for, Eric answers:

F = Francisco or Filip (depends on source), X = Xabregas

Also, on this page we can already see an increasing trust between Jen and Eric when Eric acknowledges the fact that people have judged him as schizophrenic and he is afraid she will stop writing back, but she doesn’t.

See Bolton (1957) – Arg that FXC’s annots. Suggest he’s schizophrenic

…

I’ve had people make judgments like that about who I am

Wait – recently?

If I say yes, are you going to stop writing?

Apparently not.