March 31, 1977 (Letter from Sue)

I know -- it seems unforgivable, doesn't it?  Actually, your guess that I've been plotting my escape to the West is not far wrong.  I was in Calif. for a month and that is the reason you haven't heard from me -- your letter was awaiting upon my return.  I would love to see you again -- the wknd you mentioned, however, I will be again in Calif. (an oral civil service exam for S. Mateo County.)  We'll have to wait til later in the spring.

California was a heady experience.  I always revert to my personality of lazy decadence when I go out.  I was trying my damnedest to coolly & efficiently track down job leads -- but kept getting sidetracked by the pursuit of pleasure.  My friend Sally & I adventured in San Diego one weekend to visit an old flame of hers who is now in the Navy.  I had a most unforeseen, unexpected tryst with another young Naval officer.  I, who have always scoffed at the military. Now I wish I'd plied your sister with questions.  I also managed to burn a few bridges that had been rotting for some time.  I cleaned up my act, in other words.

Speaking of cleaning up one's act -- did I tell you about my adventure w/ E. Baker @ Midwinter?  Obviously not, since you haven't heard from me in 6 months.  We made arrangements to see one another but he again got caught up w/ busy business -- though this time he finally showed.  "Enough" I cried.  What a ridiculous situation.  The only thing that appeals to me about him is his looks -- and also, an aura of energy & power-drive which he exudes.  Otherwise, he's a pretty egotistical cookie, which is OK, I suppose, but I always become too enraged for that type.  I absolutely despise, detest & loathe being either stood up or made to wait an inordinate amount of time.  So I guess my extremely erratic fling with Mr. B has wound down.  It's much better this way -- much more calm & rational for me.

I'm glad you're feeling comfortable w/ your job situation.  It's easy to feel wanderlust after 6 months to a year, but as you deduced, moving on whenever you feel the urge really gets you in very unstable job conditions.  (Unless maybe you're a musician.)  In most jobs, I think one has to "invest" some time in order to move on with clarity.

My job situation is actually fine.  In lots of ways, I should heed those words I wrote in the above paragraph,  If I were to stay @ the library, I'm sure I could advance to whatever I might want.  I like where I'm working now & with whom.  If only this library system were suddenly transported to Calif, everything would be peachy.  But alas -- the grass seems to be greener out there (though w/ the drought, that won't last too long), so I've gotta move along.  I've been away form my family too long.  I'm sure you can understand that feeling.

[By the way, did you read that Rolling Stone article (sometime in Feb.) about 3 strange suicides of the boys in Oil City?  Know anything about that?]

I haven't seen much movie-wise lately except Rock which I found delivered what it promised.  Implausible story, but very uplifting.  I think Sylvester Stallone is my new man -- he has a touch of ironic genius.  I thought he was hilarious @ the Oscars.  Was disappointed in The Last Tycoon.  Thought Bound for Glory was beautiful but too pat & glorified.  The new Tanner film -- Jonah Will Be 25 in the Year 2000 is probably the best thing I've seen in the last 6 mos.  How 'bout you?

Well, Paul -- I hope you've forgiven me.  Let's try to get together some time this spring (before it gets too jungle-like humid).

P.S.  You aren't, by chance, tempted by the glamorous prospect of attending ALA in Detroit???

October 7, 1974 (Letter from Sue)

Deer Lodge, Montana!  How quaint and rustique!  I was pleased to learn you actually did take the job -- imagine, you, the most bored of all in the underserved class, are actually serving them!  No, that's not sour grapes -- but aren't you glad now that you sat through my book talk in prisons?  (I'm sure it doesn't make a damned bit of difference!)

I'm sure that the change of pace is interesting.  I understand your feeling about leaving Pittsburgh -- one grows very fond of that funky old town -- I am often quite nostalgic.  But such a change from eastern industrialization to Rocky Mountain "high" can't be anything but intriging.  You living situation sounds very good -- I'm sure you'll get to know the other people in teh area, and I'm sure as well that you are making friends with many of the inmates (since, from what you tell me of their "crimes", there but for the grace of God go you...)

I told you about my friend in Albany who was a prison libn at Comstock, didn't I?  Just got a letter from him today -- he's fed up totally with his present job (academic lib -- serials -- Catholic private 4-yr college and a real drag as the place is run with an iron first by one of the Jesuits), but he's doing "counselling" (for lack of a better word) at the county jail.  If you ever want to get in touch with him re his experiences as prison libn, his name and address are Bill Demo, 390 Hamilton St., Albany, N.Y., as of 10/16 -- he's moving there.

I guess that I already told (fucking typewriter!) you that he was a part of the same library system  (god damn it) university system as you, as he got his MIS from SUNY Albany.

Your library sound really good -- good environment, etc.  It even sounds as if you have pretty much freedom in how you run it (Blue Oyster Cult, et al.), which is great (that was Bill's complaint -- that he couldn't deal with the warden at all). I think you may actually enjoy the next year or so.  I can certainly imagine you, out on the Dear Lodge mountain range, in teh midst of splendiferous autumnal sunsets, tucked away in  your little cottage in the winter as the cold mountain winds range about you ( I have this picture of McCabe and Mrs. Miller), but there you are, indifferent, with your boots off, yhour feet up in front of the fireplace, an open bottle of whiskey in front of you...(and a young lovely in the background?  I do hope so!)

And of course, there's always your work at the library to keep you warm.  Seriously, it does sound like a "rewarding experience" (whatever that is) -- as if you'll be able to , as you say, fill some sort of need in your "patrons" lives...(I've never liked the word patron  nor am I found of "user" or "reader" or "client".  How about libraryees?)  I think you've done admirably well, your first month out of library school.

As for my situation (I actually feel guilty not working yet) -- I am looking (we got the phone) (number 514-932-8378, just in case you ever need to call --) rather wholeheartedly as a matter of fact.  I did get one offer at one of the JC's in the area -- reference libn. night work with the potential to develop into full-time day work.  But I didn't take it as 1) I didn't like the library; 2) it was way too far away to commute, and 3) Bart and I would never have seen each other.

So far, the possibilities range from Fine Arts Ref at one of the local universities to Asst Libn at a public library (bilingual, with a chance to build up the children's collection) to subject indexing and aggressive telephoning at a local scandal rag.  The beset thing, though, is that I contacted the Archivist at McGill Library about oral history interviewing (they have a History of McGill project here, as well as an Oral Hist dept.) and he wrote back, asking me to come in for an interview.  Which I have tomorrow.  I don't know what this means (the fact of the interview), but at least we can talk about the possibilities, as finger-popper would say.  (Tho' I don't mean those kind of possibilities).  The Archivist is supposed to be "crotchety and brilliant" -- I'm really very eager to meet him.

The only thing that is disturbing me is:  what if I shouldn't find a job?  (A possibility which I have mentioned to no one else).  It would be such a blow to my grad-school ego!  It's such a drag hearing all the time how "tight" things are everywhere.  There seems to be lots of jobs for catalogers  but I just can't consider that.  It would be too debilitating.  I'd rather design information systems.

Of course, though, I will find a job -- it's just the limbo-esque quality of the job hunt that is sometimes a little bizarre.  What about others in our class?  Who else has found a job, and where?

I am so sorry to have missed the gala events aboard the Monagahela Queen (or whatever the riverboat was...) and stop at the Triangle!  It sounds as if it was very festive.  Speaking of festivities, just think -- it was about a year ago that we merrily made our way to Atlantic City (ah, Erwin!).  That will always stand out in my mind as one of the primary events of grad school.  (The convention, not just Erwin.)

And, speaking of Atlantic City -- have you heard of or from Michael?  I wrote him a long letter -- as he most emphatically told me that I had let him down in not writing to tell him when I would return to Pittsburgh -- but I haven't heard hide nor hair from him.  I guess he's doing well at Maryland...(Knowing Michael, he would do well anywhere...)

I got a letter from Susan Zaretsky.  She corroborated your report that Phil has changed ("reformed" is how she put it).  Barbara Immroth is in the Ph.D program -- and Susan saw Carmelle one day -- Carmelle is living at home and looking for a job and the report is that she and Gregg "split up" and he is teaching in Erie.  Whether that means they split up due to non-proximity or due to non-compatibility, I don't know.

Also received a brief note from Grant -- no gossip, though.  Just to tell me about a GSLIS grad who is teaching at the Univ of Montreal.

We are planning to go to Vermont this weekend (Monday is Canadian Thanksgiving -- did you even heard of such a thing?!).  I find myself becoming very homesick for the gold old U.S. of A.  I must be getting old.  Being in exile never bothered me before.  But anyway, I have a great desire to see the New England autumn, in all its splendid foliage -- a veritable palette, I hear!  Besides, I quite liked Vermont when we passed through in August -- maybe I'll check out the library in St. Albans!

Oh -- one professional commitment I have made (such a rambling letter, this) is that I've joined SLA (just think of all the extra conventions I can go to!).  I felt that this would help me to get to know the library community a little better, and might prove to be beneficial in the job hunt.  They're having a meeting tomorrow night -- might be interesting.  (Though the dinner speech is the thrilling topic of "Studying Libraries with the Use of Outsiders".  Just hear the implications of a closed, smug little library community!)  (Too bad you're not here -- I'm sure you'd be fascinated).  Anyway, they have a cocktail hour before the meeting, so it shouldn't be too bad!

I am also taking a course in French for Library Science (again, with the idea that I might meet some people who could be helpful...)  About the only thing is that I am learning a lot of technical terminology I didn't know, and I get to use the college library.

Aside from all this brouhaha and general nonsense, Montreal progresses.  We are getting more and more settled, though there are difficulties related to my lack of exposure to the community and our general feeling of being cut off.  In other words, it takes time to make friends, and twice as long if one is part of a couple, and my social nature needs lots of social intercourse.  (No pun intended, and please don't jump to any hasties!)  I am generally impatient -- I want to be settled in, with a job, and a coterie of friends -- and, of course, all this take time.  I sometimes miss the independence I had in Pittsburgh, but the companionship I have with Barb outweighs the other, so...in general, things are pretty good.

Well, I'm making more and more mistakes with this infernal machine (whatever happened to my secretarial skills!) -- so I shall close.  Do write again, as winter rounds the bend into the homestretch -- and do tell me more about your job, the prison system, etc.  (Also -- do you think Barb might come out to Montana?  Why haven't you mentioned it to Leslie?  You and Leslie have what my mother would term a "relationship filled with mysterious nuances".)

 Also let me know where you will be at Christmas -- maybe we can arrange to see each other.  In the meantime, Montana's Native Son (it was Wendell who told me you were born there-- I didn't destroy his illusions...), take care.

P.S.  Do you still hear from Ken?  Now is his Dollar Date progressing?  I am really glad that things seem to be working out for him. (I feel personally involved after attending his wedding.)