Algernon, Charlie, and I Read online

  Dr. Stevens of the Salk Institute told the Times, "It may be that learning things too well is bad ... We could be stuck learning things we don't want to learn and our hard disks would be full of too much information."

  In a story, illustrated with a Frankenstein monster-like child, Time magazine quoted UCLA neurobiologist Alcino Silva, "Everything comes at a price ... Very often when there's a genetic change where we improve, something else gets hit by it, so it's never a clean thing.

  Jeremy Rifkin, identified only as "a long time biotech critic," is quoted: "How do you know you've not going to create a mental monster?...We may be on the road to programming our own extinction."

  I finally phoned the lead researcher at Princeton, Dr. Joe Z. Tsien. I introduced myself, and told him I would like to mention his work briefly at the end of the new book I was writing. He said that would please him. After we discussed his experiments in general, I asked, "How do you respond to criticism about the moral implications of applying so-called genetic engineering to humans by enhancing intelligence?"

  "The very definition of enhancement is actually based on what is healthy or normal," he said. "I am now thirty-six years old, and my memory is not as good as it was earlier. Is it part of getting older and dying, or is it a disease? Many things we accepted as part of aging are now known as diseases, and we can use therapeutic drugs for memory loss.

  "I am not driven by the need to create a super-mouse or super-genius," he said, "but we have found the right gene—the magic switch for memory formation. An individual with an I.Q. of 120 might feel he's disabled when compared to someone with and I.Q. of 160 to 170."

  "So, you do believe it will be possible to increase human intelligence."

  "Yes, but the jump from mice to humans is a huge jump," he said. "We will make that jump. It will happen. It's time for us to discuss these issues."

  Dr. Tsien had been quoted in the Times as believing that improving people's intelligence, whether by drugs or genetic alteration, could have profound effects throughout society. I asked him about that.

  "Civilization is based on our extraordinary human intelligence," he said. "That is why our society evolves and civilization evolves. And if there is a way to enhance [human] intelligence then it may not be surprising to see a change in the evolution of society."

  We spoke briefly of Flowers for Algernon.

  "Of course, I read it," he said. "Everyone is talking about it. When I finished it, I said, 'Wow! Gosh! He's so far ahead of us, we'll never catch up!'"

  Now that they'd caught up to Algernon, I couldn't help thinking about the Charlies of the world. I asked, "How long do you think it will take to increase human intelligence?"

  "You writers are always ahead of us. We just follow you."

  "How long?" I asked again.

  After a long pause, Dr. Tsien said, "I expect it to happen in the next thirty years."

  Acknowledgments

  MOST PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES crossed my writing life are described in this autobiography. I thank them here again.

  However, since novelettes, novels, live teleplays, theatrical movies, amateur stage dramas, Broadway musicals, and TV movies do not provide an opportunity for the author to mention others, or to elaborate on his debt of gratitude, I wish now to acknowledge the following people.

  The late Morton Klass, close friend, with whom I was able to share ideas and a chessboard on Hoffman Island, introduced me to science fiction, its writers, editors and the Hydra Club.

  Through Mort, I met his brother, Philip Klass (pseudonym William Tenn) who gave generously of his time and judgment by reading my earliest stories. Phil was my first encounter with a tough, professional writer, who loved words, sentences, and paragraphs, and knew how to explain what he was criticizing or praising. When he read the first draft of the novelette version, he said, "Dan, this will become a classic." I am in his debt for his encouragement.

  When the late Robert P. Mills, at the urging of Phil Klass, bought the original novelette version of "Flowers for Algernon" for The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, he set me on the path I walk today. Thanks, also, to Ed Ferman, of Mercury Press for publishing it.

  I should like to express my appreciation to three attorneys: to Don Engel, in Los Angeles, who, after his success in winning the arbitration for the dramatic-musical rights in 1977, became my agent-attorney.

  Engel later arranged for me to join the William Morris Agency in Beverly Hills, where I worked with Ron Nolte, who battled vigorously for my contract rights and proved that the William Morris Agency backs up its writers.

  I can't find enough words of praise for Eric Zohn, brilliant young attorney in the Morris New York office. Eric was always there when I needed him to untangle the knottiest legal problems. Many thanks to my present literary agent Mel Berger, at the William Morris Agency, for his constant encouragement.

  In Japan, I wish to thank Mr. Hiroshi Hayakawa of Hayakawa Publishing who brought Flowers for Algernon to Japan in 1978. One and a half million hardcover copies are in print in Japan.

  Tatemi Sakai, agent with the Orion Literary Agency, negotiated theatrical productions of Flowers for Algernon and the Japanese contract for The Fifth Sally.

  Miyo Kai, agent with the Tuttle-Mori Literary Agency in Japan, subagent of the Morris Agency, negotiated Japanese contracts for most of my other books with Hayakawa Shobo.

  My new independent editor, Sol Stein, formerly of Stein and Day Publishers, encouraged me to develop and revise this autobiography. I thank him for his insights and advice.

  Thanks to David Ginsberg, president of Citadel Entertainment, and to Craig Zadan and Neil Meron of Storyline Entertainment, for their confidence and their efforts in the long arbitration struggle to confirm my rights in the CBS-TV made-for-television movie production of Flowers for Algernon.

  My debt to my parents goes far beyond the relationship described in these pages. My father provided the mountain of books and passed on to me the yearning to lift myself out of poverty through education. My mother taught me to seek perfection but also to care about other people. Both were tough taskmasters, but—though long gone—their influence has cast a long and loving shadow over my life and this book.

  My thanks to other members of my family:

  To my sister Gail, and my brother-in-law Ed Marcus, for their unstinting hospitality, and for their understanding that although we reside so close in the real world, in my mind—when I write—I live in other times and other places.

  To my wife Aurea, always by my side as a sharp-eyed editor and critic; to my daughter and confidant, Leslie Joan, for never letting things grow dull, and for reading and making helpful suggestions on this book in manuscript; and to my daughter Hillary Ann, my personal assistant—herself a lover of books—who was an indispensable part of the hardcover from the first idea through the artwork and design, to the last revision. I thank these, my loved ones, who put up with me, encouraged me, and gave me the emotional support every working writer needs.

  Finally, Charlie Gordon and Algernon would never have existed if not for the developmentally challenged boy whose yearning for intelligence made him come up to me in the classroom, and say: "Mr. Keyes, I want to be smart." Although he remains anonymous, and cannot know the effect of those words, I and my readers owe him more than we can say.

  DANIEL KEYES

  OCTOBER 31, 1999

  Flowers for Algernon

  THE ORIGINAL NOVELETTE

  progris riport 1—martch 5

  Dr. Strauss says I shud rite down what I think and evrey thing that happins to me from now on. I dont know why but he says its importint so they will see if they will use me. I hope they use me. Miss Kinnian says maybe they can make me smart. I want to be smart. My name is Charlie Gordon. I am 37 years old and 2 weeks ago was my brithday. I have nuthing more to rite now so I will close for today.

  progris riport 2—martch 6

  I had a test today. I think I faled it. and I think that mabye now they wont use me. Wh
at happind is a nice young man was in the room and he had some white cards with ink spillled all over them. He sed Charlie what do you see on this card. I was very skared even tho I had my rabits foot in my pockit because when I was a kid I always faled tests in school and I spillled ink to. I told him I saw a inkblot. He said yes and it made me feel good. I thot that was all but when I got up to go he stopped me. He said now sit down Charlie we are not thru yet. Then I dont remember so good but he wantid me to say what was in the ink. I dint see nuthing in the ink but he said there was picturs there other pepul saw some picturs. I coudnt see any picturs. I reely tryed to see. I held the card close up and then far away. Then I said if I had my glases I coud see better I usally only ware my glases in the movies or TV but I said they are in the closit in the hall. I got them. Then I said let me see that card agen I bet Ill find it now.

  I tryed hard but I still coudnt find the picturs I only saw the ink. I told him maybe I need new glases. He rote somthing down on a paper and I got skared of faling the test. I told him it was a very nice inkblot with littel points all around the eges. He looked very sad so that wasnt it. I said please let me try agen. Ill get it in a few minits becaus Im not so fast somtimes. Im a slow reeder too in Miss Kinnians class for slow adults but I'm trying very hard.

  He gave me a chance with another card that had 2 kinds of ink spillled on it red and blue.

  He was very nice and talked slow like Miss Kinnian does and he explaned it to me that it was a raw shok. He said pepul see things in the ink I said show me where. He said think. I told him I think a inkblot but that wasnt rite eather. He said what does it remind you-pretend something. I closd my eyes for a long time to pretend. I told him I pretned a fowntan pen with ink leeking all over a table cloth. Then he got up and went out.

  I dont think I passd the raw shok test.

  progris report 3—martch 7

  Dr Strauss and Dr Nemur say it dont matter about the inkblots. I told them I dint spill the ink on the cards and I coudnt see anything in the ink. They said that maybe they will still use me. I said Miss Kinnian never gave me tests like that one only spelling and reading. They said Miss Kinnian told that I was her bestist pupil in the adult nite scool becaus I tryed the hardist and I reely wantid to lern. They said how come you went to the adult nite scool all by yourself Charlie. How did you find it. I said I askd pepul and sum-body told me where I shud go to lern to read and spell good. They said why did you want to. I told them becaus all my life I wantid to he smart and not dumb. But its very hard to be smart. They said you know it will probly be tempirery. I said yes Miss Kinnian told me. I dont care if it herts.

  Later I had more crazy tests today. The nice lady who gave it me told me the name and I asked her how do you spellit so I can rite it in my progris riport. THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST. I dont know the frist 2 words but I know what test means. You got to pass it or you get bad marks. This test lookd easy becaus I coud see the picture. Only this time she dint want me to tell her the picture. That mixd me up. I said the man yesterday said I shoud tell him what I saw in the ink she said that dont make no difrence. She said make up storys about the pepul in the picture.

  I told her how can you tell storys about pepul you never met. I said why shud I make up lies. I never tell lies any more becaus I always get caut.

  She told me this test and the other one the raw-shok was for getting personalty. I laffed so hard. I said how can you get that thing from inkblots and fotos. She got sore and put her picture away. I dont care. It was sily. I gess I faled that test too.

  Later some men in white coats took me to a difernt part of the hospitil and gave me a game to play. It was like a race with a white mouse. They called the mouse Algernon. Algernon was in a box with a lot of twists and turns like all kinds of walls and they gave me a pencil and a paper with lines and lots of boxes. On one side it said START and on the other end it said FINISH. They said it was amazed and that Algernon and me had the same amazed to do. I dint see how we could have the same amazed if Algernon had a box and I had a paper but I dint say nothing. Anyway there wasnt time because the race started.

  One of the men had a watch he was trying to hide so I woudnt see it so I tryed not to look and that made me nervus. Anyway that test made me feel worser than all the others because they did it over 10 times with difernt amazeds and Algernon won every time. I dint know that mice were so smart. Maybe thats because Algernon is a white mouse. Maybe white mice are smarter then other mice.

  progris riport 4—Mar 8

  Their going to use me! Im so exited I can hardly write. Dr Nemur and Dr Strauss had a argament about it first. Dr Nemur was in the office when Dr Strauss brot me in. Dr Nemur was worryed about using me but Dr Strauss told him Miss Kinnian rekemmended me the best from all the people who she was teaching. I like Miss Kinnian becaus shes a very smart teacher. And she said Charlie your going to have a second chance. If you volenteer for this experament you mite get smart. They dont know if it will be perminint but theirs a chance. Thats why I said ok even when I was scared because she said it was an operashun. She said dont be scared Charlie you done so much with so little I think you deserv it most of all.

  So I got scaird when Dr Nemur and Dr Strauss argud about it. Dr Strauss said I had something that was very good. He said I had a good motor-vation. I never even knew I had that. I felt proud when he said that not every body with an eye-q of 68 had that thing. I dont know what it is or where I got it but he said Algernon had it too. Algernons motor-vation is the cheese they put in his box. But it cant be that because I didnt eat any cheese this week.

  Then he told Dr Nemur something I dint understand so while they were talking I wrote down some of the words.

  He said Dr Nemur I know Charlie is not what you had in mind as the first of your new brede of intelek** (coudnt get the word) superman. But most people of his low ment** are host** and uncoop** they are usualy dull apath** and hard to reach. He has a good natcher hes intristed and eager to please.

  Dr Nemur said remember he will be the first human beeng ever to have his intelijence trippled by surgicle meens.

  Dr Strauss said exakly. Look at how well hes lerned to read and write for his low mentel age its as grate an acheve** as you and I lerning einsunes therey of **vity without help. That shows the intenss motor-vation. Its comparat** a tremen** achev** I say we use Charlie.

  I dint get all the words and they were talking to fast but it sounded like Dr Strauss was on my side and like the other one wasnt.

  Then Dr Nemur nodded he said all right maybe your right. We will use Charlie. When he said that I got so exited I jumped up and shook his hand for being so good to me. I told him thank you doc you wont be sorry for giving me a second chance. And I mean it like I told him. After the operashun Im gonna try to be smart. Im gonna try awful hard.

  progris ript 5—Mar 10

  Im skared. Lots of people who work here and the nurses and the people who gave me the tests came to bring me candy and wish me luck. I hope I have luck. I got my rabits foot and my lucky penny and my horse shoe. Only a black cat crossed me when I was comming to the hospitil. Dr Strauss says dont be supersitis Charlie this is sience. Anyway Im keeping my rabits foot with me.

  I asked Dr Strauss if Ill beat Algernon in the race after the operashun and he said maybe. If the operashun works Ill show that mouse I can be as smart as he is. Maybe smarter. Then Ill be abel to read better and spell the words good and know lots of things and be like other people. I want to be smart like other people. If it works perminint they will make everybody smart all over the wurld.

  They dint give me anything to eat this morning. I dont know what that eating has to do with getting smart. Im very hungry and Dr Nemur took away my box of candy. That Dr Nemur is a grouch. Dr Strauss says I can have it back after the operashun. You cant eat befor a operashun.

  Progress Report 6—Mar 15

  The operashun dint hurt. He did it while I was sleeping. They took off the bandijis from my eyes and my head today so I can make a PROGR
ESS REPORT. Dr Nemur who looked at some of my other ones says I spell PROGRESS wrong and he told me how to spell it and REPORT too. I got to try and remember that.

  I have a very bad memary for spelling. Dr Strauss says its Ok to tell about all the things that happin to me but he says I shoud tell more about what I feel and what I think. When I told him I dont know how to think he said try. All the time when the bandijis were on my eyes I tryed to think. Nothing happened. I dont know what to think about. Maybe if I ask him he will tell me how I can think now that Im suppose to get smart. What do smart people think about. Fancy things I suppose. I wish I knew some fancy things alredy.

  Progress Report 7—Mar 19

  Nothing is happining. I had lots of tests and different kinds of races with Algernon. I hate that mouse. He always beats me. Dr Strauss said I got to play those games. And he said some rime I got to take those tests over again. These inkblots are stupid. And those pictures are stupid too. I like to draw a picture of a man and a woman but I wont make up lies about people.

  I got a headache from trying to think so much. I thot Dr Strauss was my frend but he dont help me. He dont tell me what to think or when Ill get smart. Miss Kinnian dint come to see me. I think writing these progress reports are stupid too.