[Note: The mysterious 3 NBs of Julian Drew is told partly in code during the first 43 pages. NB is an abbreviation for "notebook," the set of journals that Julian Drew keeps. Each entry begins with a series of capitalized letters and numbers. Context clues will help you understand most of the code. Sometimes you have to keep reading to be able to understand a coded word or phrase. But the general meaning of the book is clear, even if you have to wait a number of pages to understand some coded words. If you need help, here's some more code information.]

 

TO25

427WP

can't

can

have 2

my eyes saw

Ur letter

in my dream

in MY dream

IN MY DREAM

+

my MM

bought

this NB

2day

2DAY

JD

 

WO26

414WP

 

The lock is on

my hand is trying 2 write

trying

  TRYING 2 write

my brain dreamed about Ur letter

4

20

nights

until last night

now no dream

no dream now

no

dream

     now

the lock

is

on

JD

 

SO29

217WA

 

Dear

Deer who?

Why won't my pen do this?

know why?

no why?

Everything is like watching myself in a mirror

My eyes are tired of mirror-watching me

My eyes are tired

but my hand is trying.

Julian

 

MO31

742WP

 

My brain is thinking of some 1.

It is thinking of U.

Me + U

My brain can't stand it

Anymore

4 yr is a long time. 4 yr is 4ever.

All it thinks about is U.

or THEM.

Don't think about THEM, brain.

Just think about U.

Julian.

 

THN3

415WP

My hand is going 2 WRITE.

My hand IS going 2 write.

My hand is going 2 write U if it K1775 me.

No 1 can stop me.

43 can't stop me.

543 can't stop me.

There are 2 many things 2 write.

2 many.

 

My hand will say 1 THING.

Some THING my brain thinks about.

 

My brain had a nowhere dream 4 20 nights. My body was nowhere.

It was dusty, smelly, old.

My eyes saw a book on a shelf. It was Ur book.

My fingers found a letter inside.

 

The letter was from U.

It was so real my ears heard the envelope crackle.

My nose could smell Ur perfume.

But the dream stopped be4 my eyes could read the letter + now my brain doesn't dream this dream anymore.

What was inside the letter? What did U want 2 tell me?

My hand wrote

2 many

things

(maybe it's the pen's fault).

Julian

 

ŠJames M. Deem, from 3 NBs of Julian Drew (Houghton Mifflin, 1994).

 

3 NBs of Julian Drew. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Avon paperback edition, 1996. Harper paperback edition, 2000. Graphia paperback edition, 2004.