Summary

In “How to Draw a Picture (I),” the narrator, Edgar Freemantle, describes that to draw a picture, a person should start with a blank, white surface. He describes a little girl who fell from a carriage, hit her head on a rock, and forgot everything. He notes how she begins to re-establish her world by drawing a horizon line. He notes he loves this girl even though she has cost him a great deal.

In Chapter 1: "My Other Life," Edgar describes how he had a happy life with his wife Pam and daughters Melinda and Ilse. He worked up from the bottom and owned his own contracting business. He and his wife were worth 40 million dollars.

Edgar was seriously injured when a crane smashed the truck he was driving. He lost his right arm, and...