The Re-Education of Eddie Morgenstern: Preface and Chapter One
The Re-Education of Eddie Morgenstern
A Novel
Russell Lockhart
©2024
Preface
June 28, 2024
I had a dream last night: I saw the title page of my new novel. The title is The Re-Education of Eddie Morgenstern. This may have been inspired by a novel I have been reading, written in first person (something I've never done) by Freida McFadden. She is now a top-selling novelist. As I read it, I felt strong impulses “to write” in first person—in this case, to write from Eddie Morgenstern’s point of view.
Before writing anything, I asked artificial intelligence (on the co-pilot platform) what it knows about this title. Here is AI’s response:
It seems there might be a mix-up here! The film you’re referring to is titled “The Re-Education of Molly Singer,” not Eddie Morgenstern. Directed by Andy Palmer and starring Britt Robertson, the movie follows a young lawyer who goes undercover by enrolling as a freshman at her old alma mater to help her boss’s awkward teenage son.
So, I guess AI doesn't know about my next novel even though my dream intelligence does. This sparked an impulse to write an essay on DI on the theme of dream intelligence in relation to artificial intelligence.
Then I told AI: The Re-Education of Eddie Morgenstern is from a dream.
Copilot responded.
Ah, I see! Dreams can be fascinating sources of inspiration. Let’s delve into the dreamlike world of “The Re-Education of Eddie Morgenstern.”
The Re-Education of Eddie Morgenstern
In the hazy twilight of Eddie Morgenstern’s subconscious, reality blurred with imagination. The edges of his existence softened, and he found himself in a place that defied logic—a school unlike any other.
The corridors stretched infinitely, their walls adorned with chalkboard equations that whispered secrets to those who dared listen. Eddie wandered, his footsteps echoing through the empty halls. Each door he opened revealed a classroom where forgotten knowledge danced like fireflies.
In one room, ancient philosophers debated the nature of existence. Socrates scribbled proofs on the blackboard, while Confucius sipped tea and pondered the meaning of virtue. Eddie sat among them, absorbing wisdom that transcended time.
Down another hallway, he stumbled upon a library with books that pulsed with energy. Their titles shifted—Quantum Mechanics for Dreamers, The Art of Levitation, Navigating Parallel Universes. Eddie reached for a volume titled Dream Syntax: A User’s Guide, but it slipped through his fingers like smoke.
And then, at the heart of this dream-school, he met the enigmatic Professor Hypnos. With eyes like constellations, Hypnos taught Eddie the language of dreams—the syntax of starlight, the grammar of moonbeams. Eddie learned to rewrite his own narrative, to unlearn and relearn.
As dawn approached, Eddie stood at the threshold of awakening. Professor Hypnos whispered, “Remember, Eddie, reality is just a dream you’ve all agreed upon.” And with that, Eddie stepped back into the waking world, carrying the echoes of forgotten equations and the promise of re-education.
Whether Eddie Morgenstern’s dream becomes a novel or remains a secret whispered to the night, it’s a tale worth exploring. If you’d like more glimpses into this dream-realm, feel free to ask!
For now, I have no feeling or enthusiasm for following up AI’s version of the novel. Instead, I’m going to hand over the project to Eddie Morgenstern and see what he comes up with.
CHAPTER ONE
Welcome, reader, to The Re-Education of Eddie Morgenstern. Being Eddie Morgenstern, you might except that I would know what this “re-education” thing is about, but I don’t. And, most likely you don’t know either. Keep in mind that the whole idea came from another person’s dream. I haven’t an inkling how or why this applies to me. So, on impulse, and with some curiosity about the so-called “wisdom of the crowd,” I have set up an e-mail address so that you can write to me. Even if I am blank-minded maybe you have an idea, a fantasy, an intuition, or even a dream about what is afoot. If so, jot it down and send it along to:
[Copy and paste in your mail program]
I won’t promise to use anything you send but I will promise to read every word that you send, and consider its possibility of inclusion. I’m a great believer in inclusion and including the reader in the writing of my novel is a good example of this.
Besides, I don’t want to do this all by myself. I have done enough things by myself. Maybe this impulse to include others is part of my re-education. I like that idea! Though it was not my dream that started all of this, I respect the dream and intend to take it seriously. So, I do not know what my re-education might be; I am wide open to suggestions no matter how real or fanciful.
So, let’s begin. Send me something to work with and I will work to open myself to whatever presents itself, to whatever comes along.