Adventures in nonexistent authors (or, you thought I had it hard)

[Dad the Emeritus Historian of Graeco-Roman Egypt is working on a miniscule fragment from a book that no longer exists--and that also has what appears to be an impossible title.]

DAD: It's difficult to write about an author when you don't know who he was, or where he wrote, or when he lived...

ME: At least it rules out biographical criticism!

DAD: True.  It rules out most other forms of criticism, come to think of it.