The author obtains his FBI file and discovers a case largely based on literary criticism

“UNABOMBER, not unlike VOLLMANN, has pride of authorship and insists his book be published without editing.”

This line is one of the “literary straws” the FBI grasps at in William T. Vollmann’s FBI file, in which the National Book Award–winning author learns that he was suspect S-2047 in the Unabomber investigation of the 1990s.

In the September issue of Harper’s Magazine, the writer shares what he read in his file, which he describes as “two higgledy-piggledy batches of papers, out of order, padded with duplicates, some of which they had forgotten to redact.” Vollmann was given 294 of the file’s 785 pages following a Freedom of Information Act request, an appeal, and a lawsuit. (A request for his NSA file is still pending.)

Some excerpts from the file:

S-2047 William T. Vollman. Predicated on a referral from a citizen Investigation has determined that Vollman, a professional author, is widely travelled, however, existing travel records for him do not eliminate him as a viable suspect.

• UNABOMBER’s moniker FC may correlate with title of VOLLMANN’s largest work, novel Fathers and Crows. That novel reportedly best exemplifies VOLLMANN’s anti-progress, anti-industrialist theme/beliefs/value systems and VOLLMANN, himself, has described it as his most difficult work. • He revels in immersing himself in the seamy underside of life. He reportedly has used drugs (crack cocaine) extensively. He reportedly owns many guns and a flame-thrower. • VOLLMANN’s meticulous nature, as described above, is consistent with manufacture of and presentation on UNABOM devices. Several witnesses have commented that UNABOM packages appeared “seamless” and “too pretty to open.” • By all accounts VOLLMANN is exceedingly intelligent and possessed with an enormous ego.

Vollmann learns that seven suspects, including himself, were listed as “AUTHOR/WRITER.”