The lecture is in the form of†the shrink-wrap versio? of a novel titled Latham Rises, told in the first person by a crank named Wrinkles who lives on an island in the middle of a creek. He names the island Nomans, so if anyone asked him where it was he could answer,†Noman is an island?

On one side of the creek, a house is being erected for the Lathams, and the noise is disturbing to Wrinkles.

Wrinkles is supposed to be writing a lecture about the 20th century, and he sees this garish and grotesque house as embodying that century.

He named the rooms being built -- media room, tennis courts, patio, conservatory, kitchen toilet, sun deck, moon deck, etc.

The noise of hammering and the tastelessness of the structure made Wrinkles furious, but not more than the habits of the owners, who live on the interest from untouchable trusts.

Wrinkles had to write the lecture, to be given one day away. “I’m glad I didn’t put it off until the last minute.” He said that sort of request was typical o