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Way back on p. 364, we are told of Slothrop, "As a matter of fact, he is also just about to run into his Lisaura"; on the next page, the sentence "This is how they meet" introduces a story that isn't about Slothrop meeting his Lisaura; it's easy to forget all about it. (I know I have frequently done so.)

But hey, what's this? here on p. 393 comes the line, "This is how he comes to meet Margherita Erdmann,... his child and his helpless Lisaura." Which means you could look at the intervening 30 pages as being the story, not of the birth of Rocketman and his adventures in Potsdam, but of Slothrop meeting Lisaura -- to me that "This is how they meet... This is how he comes to meet her" construction seems like a frame designed to give its contents a particular aspect. Seems kinda wacky to me that this framed material spans several section divisions and some widely disparate material about the Argentines and Tchitcherine.

A-and speaking of p. 393, did anyone else find it a bit odd for Slothrop to be worried about flab when he wakes up from his Sodium Amytal session? Seems like other concerns would be more pressing.

Also -- has anyone got more reference info re: The Minnesinger, and Lisaura? I have only vague, unreliable memories from a German class in college. Anyone know if Minnesinger is from the same root as Minstrel?