EDNOTE: CK's note offers me the opportunity to point out that every work that has been sent on NABOKV-L from day 1 is available in its archive. Just go to  http://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-cgi-bin/wa and follow the links. Then do a search for whatwever..
----- Original Message -----
From: Carolyn Kunin
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2002 8:08 AM
Subject: Ck replies to Jerry Friedman

Dear Jerry,

I think I can honestly say that although Pale Fire is 40 years old this year, in all that time no one has argued, conjectured or supposed that Hazel had a roommate. If I am incorrect on this rather obvious point, the burden of proof is on the other foot.

I believe I was the first to call attention to the anomaly of the reference to a roommate which Hazel, who lives at home, clearly does not have. If others noticed it before I called attention to it  I sincerely hope they will be willing to come forward and say so. I believe that there are approximately 800 people on this list, and that some of them are much more knowledgeable than you or I as to what has been discussed in the literature on Pale Fire.

It is logical to infer that a student who lives at home with her parents in her own room without a paying guest does not have a roommate. If Hazel lives in a world where college students can both live at home and have roommates, then it was incumbent on the author to give us some evidence of this.

The reference to a roommate who appears to be Hazel's, is an anomaly. I infer that the author intended it to be an anomaly.

Carolyn