Pg. 40 of David Markson’s copy of Melville by Edwin Haviland Miller:

     On which Markson wrote “Huh?” in the margins, as he was confused by the assertion of Miller’s re: Melville that he was “the only American descendant of Rabelais.”

—

     This is quite obviously NOT true, the concept of Melville being “the only American descendant of Rabelais.”

     In fact, of a novel from one American author it had once been written:
     “Rabelaisian, yet uncannily wise, both ribald and bittersweet.”

     Of which novel had this been said?
     Springer’s Progress.

     And what American author wrote that book?
     David Markson, of course.
     (One of a number of American descendants of Rabelais.)

     And we even know, most likely, which translation of Rabelais Markson read thanks to the semi-autobiographical-ness of his late tetralogy:
     “Writer’s pleasure in realizing that the translation of Rabelais he most recently read was done by the father of Tanaquil LeClercq.”
     – David Markson, This Is Not A Novel, pg. 117