Wolfe wrote in a letter, "My definition of a great story has nothing to do with 'a varied and interesting background.' It is: "One that can be read with pleasure by a cultivated reader and reread with increasing pleasure."" In that spirit, Wolfe also left subtle hints and lacunae that may never be explicitly referred to in the text. For example, a backyard full of morning glories is an intentional foreshadowing of events in "Free Live Free", but is only apparent to a reader with a horticultural background, and a story-within-the-story provides a clue to understanding "Peace".