May 7, 1975 (Letter from Ken and Denise)

Hi!  It's been awhile since we wrote, and all of a sudden, you came up in a conversation about biodecision.  Kenny said that that's how he met you.  He told me all about how you were working together on this, and when everyone started asking questions, you blamed everything on Kenny. That's why nobody likes him down there.

So tell me how your trip was over in California?  Did you have a good time over there?  Was there good weather down there?

Well, it's only one more month till the kid comes.  We're hoping it comes on June 2nd, since that's the day we got married.  The way I figure it out, it would definitely be June 2.

Guess what?  Kenny got busted about two weeks ago, and this is what happened.  On April 14th Kenny went downtown to do a couple things, on his way home, or before he came home, he stopped in and got some M.D. 20-20.  When he was drinking the wine, he got in a little hassle with a cop and the cop busted him and Kenny called the magistrate everything, so the magistrate gave him 90 days in the county jail.  I went down to the magistrate and gave him a big sob story, and he lowered it to letting him out that very same day.  Boy, we were so happy.  We walked over the sixth street bridge and down tot he water and grassy area where we tried to roll a jay of grass I had brought with me.  I had brought some THC pills which we both took two of.  It didn't hit me until about 1/2 hour later.  Boy was I fucked up.  I don't think I want to take them anymore.  Kenny had to take about 6 of them before he got off on them.

You know that dude we told you about who was living with us, well he's not any more.  We got him busted, and now he's in jail (county).  We found out, (that's after he was busted), that he was fucking around with us.  That's like he was cheating on us as far as money is concerned, telling people these stupid lying ass stories about us that people believed.  When Kenny was in the county jail, Mickey was going to keep him in there, and planning to kill me by cutting my head off, so we had ho choice other than killing him which we weren't in to doing.  Well, Mickey is gone, and we have two other beautiful people living with us.  One male, age 21, and one female, age 16 1/2.  This is a whole new family which is really nice.

Guess what, we're going to be on KQV radio station this week.  We haven't listened to it yet, so we can't fill you in on what's happened as of now.  During the past month we were contacted by WEWS from Cleveland, Ohio, which we were on air at that time.  We were also on the air with KQV.  (I was just on, cause Kenny was in jail.)  I was so excited I kind of blew the whole call.  I could have said a lot more about Dollar Date, but I didn't.  If you want to hear it, they've got it on tape down at the station.

Well, I better close now I'm getting kind of tired getting punched in the stomach from the insidse.

Kenny says hi, and be cool.

December 24, 1974 (Letter from Tom)

It's been awhile and I'll admit that I'm confused about who wrote who last.  I've been busy if not productive the last month or so.  Lots of guys have been coming in for military counselling, and the radio show, plus some other developments at work -- then at home we've been getting readjusted to being two instead of four, since our friend Brenda and her baby have found a place of other own.  Also we started making toys to sell for Christmas craft fairs and shows, to supplement our income.

Lots of grey days this month, and a couple for real snowstorms.  I'm getting psychologically prepared to be locked up from the sunshine and the storms of winter in January when there is another 2 wk study for $500 at the Chatham.  Barbara will fill in for me at work.  The more and more I reveal who I am the less I am liked by some of our friends at the lab.  Actually that's not as accurate as saying the more difficult it becomes to go through the whole thing smoothly.  I'm changing my behavior and saying less and staying in my room to read again, and I'm quite happy and content to do that.

Been writing down my dreams a lot lately, reading new things and saying goodbye to friends who are leaving.

As me questions, and write to me before January 12th when I'm supposed to check in a Bio-d and I'll write you a good letter.

I know all your days can't be happy, but I wish you that anyway, to bake the good ones go a little farther.
Have a good Christmas and a happy re-new year.  Be seein' you.

October 6, 1974 (Letter from Tom)

Received your letter Saturday, and tonight is the first chance I've had to respond.  Letter writing is a very moody thing with me, sometimes they flow and sometimes they drip.

It sounds like you got caught by an early hurricane and swept along with good fortune.  Is it really big sky country?  I've always wanted to visit and spend some time in the western states, among other places, and this certainly increases the incentive.

It's a cold, cold (record cold!!) October night in Pittsburgh, and I'm glad I don't have to go out for any reason tonite because I haven't adjusted to the abrupt change in the weather.  I am in a new apartment since I saw you last, I'm living in Regent Square, near Frick Park and just a few steps from the Regent Square Theater, where Bobbi and I and a friend went to see Chinatown a couple of weeks ago.  We have a large apartment 6 rms $125 with heat included since it's a radiator steam set-up.  The place is no palace, but it has a lot of potential and the price is reasonable given the alternatives in Pittsburgh these days.  It's convenient because there is a drug store, a nice laundromat with some good magazines and new 20 cent paperbacks that are very decent, then there is an Isaly's and a hardware store, three of four little food stores and a bunch of other little places I don't pay much attention to like beauty parlors, a gun shop, etc.  One big drawback is that there are two bars adjacent to both sides of the building which attracts a very loud and annoying group that likes to sit in front of the place -- occasionally and rev their motorcycles for a half hour or so.  All in all, it's alright, but we are keeping our eyes open for a house somewhere around here that we can rent because we like to have more freedom to do what we want.

I have also started a new job, which I don't think I knew about when I spoke to you last.  I'm working at the Friend Peace Center on Ellsworth Ave in Oakland.  I saw an ad in the Forum one Friday and thought it might just be what I was looking for.  I found out that I got the job a day or two before I did the biodecision study and I started a couple of days after I got out, and I've been very busy most of the time since then.  The center is refocusing its energies, while trying to keep the war in Indochina in the public eye, as you may know we are spending almost 2 billion dollars in Indochina and it's not going to peaceful pursuits.  Also we are involved in military counseling for anyone who wants to know what their rights are in terms of the military.  I am responsible for this military counseling since the woman I replaced was doing it before me, and I also do a one hour radio program on WYEP-FM that new station in Oakland -- the program is called -- for lack of a better name -- Friends Peace Center report.  Well I'm not sure that this is the thing I was looking for, it's a lot of work and very little compensation, not only that I earn $50 a week, but there is a definite lack of helpful advice and encouragement from the people I work with, but each day is kinda different there and I may resolve my doubts yet.

The biodecision experiment was interesting actually and the group I was in got the better half of the deal and I would do it again, though naturally I would like to be in a position where I would not need to consider doing these studies, but for the moment I'm glad to have it.

I'm really curious to hear more about Montana, and your experiences in the prison, and I would like to write more but I must be up very early tomorrow because I have to get some blood drawn at biodecision before I go to work tomorrow (ha!).  Well listen, I hope to stay in touch with you and I expect to be in a biodecision study starting the 11th and then the following two weekends which is usually  a good time for me to write so I hope to year from you some time soon.