Bickford Shmeckler’s Cool Ideas 2006

Nothing can ever be truly, fully understood. Not even the most simple idea. Not even this.

Bickford Shmeckler is a lonely college student who keeps a journal, The Book, filled with his philosophical ideas and theories. One night during a loud toga party, Sarah Witt steals the notebook. She is a beautiful but impulsive kleptomaniac who becomes captivated by his writings, describing the moment as what she calls a “braingasm.” After showing the book to her boyfriend, Trent, she rants about wanting to meet the author—and perhaps sleep with him. That night, Bickford discovers the book is missing and is overwhelmed with worry and confusion.

By interrogating his roommates, he quickly locates her at the campus art studio, where she kisses him and explains that his work inspired her to paint. They go to Trent’s dorm and discover he discarded the book out of jealousy toward Sarah’s fascination with Bickford’s writings. Meanwhile, a delusional homeless man known as Space Man finds the book and becomes convinced that Bickford can free the “extra-dimensionals” living in his head. Space Man extorts Bickford, but after making little progress, the writer grows despondent and considers giving up.

The book’s appeal begins to spread beyond the campus when the owners of a comic book store read it and fall in love with it, reprinting it, distributing free copies, and even selling related merchandise. Sarah discovers this turn of events and tells Bickford. He confronts the store owners, who grow frustrated that their newfound idol does not truly care about the book’s rising popularity, and they eventually return it.

Yet even with the book back in his hands, Bickford remains unsettled. One of his college professors, Professor Adams, who has read The Book, arranges a publishing deal for him without his consent, and it is heavily implied that she expects a sexual favor in return. Under mounting pressure, he confides in Sarah that he began writing the book after his mother died in a car accident while he was at the wheel; his father had him checked into a mental institution to treat the resulting breakdown, and he started recording his thoughts in a notebook provided by doctors.

An insult from Sarah prompts him to realize that nothing in life can be truly understood, and he adds a disclaimer in The Book, urging readers to take time to enjoy life’s fleeting chaos. He returns the book to the comic store owners and grants them permission to reprint and give it away, on the condition that it be free and that no merchandise be produced. He then begins a romantic relationship with Sarah, experiences sex for the first time, and is inspired to write a new poem.