February 19, 1975 (Letter from Michael)

I bet you thought you'd never hear from me?  I figured you must have given u p by now.  Actually I've had your letter on my dresser ever since I received it in mid-December.

I/we've been quite busy.  Still working quite a lot although it's eased off a bit lately because Liz is working part-time at her other job.  The store has been doing better and better as we've gotten in a good deal new stock and attracted new clientele.  In fact we've no formed a corporation to own the store.  Its name is Small Planet Natural Foods Dist, Inc.  (We're mostly dealing in the reds, blues, and blacks in the ball point line.  Elizabeth is quitting her accounting job in April so we both can run the store.  That should give each of us some desperately needed free time.

Actually it's quite surprising how well we've been doing lately considering some businesses.  In that respect I can't complain too much, but in others I can find much to be hassled over.   Were it not for the fact that I feel somewhat good that we may be doing something socially worthwhile, i.e., educating people about the nature (pun) of food in our society and providing some good food to a select few, I'd go totally out of my mind.  Not that I could deny that I'm trying to make money but I still have some social consciousness, I hope.

Nonetheless I could use some free time and breaks during the day to overcome my claustrophobia if nothing else.  It's funny, no one will be in the store, I'll be hungry, I'll sit down to relax and eat an d some customer will walk in and demand my attention.  As I obviously have no set lunch time I must respond.  Fortunately, lately I have hired a woman to help out and as time goes on she has become more experienced and knowledgeable and can handle the store for short periods of time. This enables me to go to the back room and relax or to go for a short walk.  I appreciate the outdoors more and more all the time.

Otherwise generally life is going rather well. When we're not fighting, Elizabeth and I get along.  And when we are fighting we fight like hell.  Admittedly it's not always her fault and I do make a minor mistake now and then.

We heard from Tony the other day.  He seems very anxious to get out of Berkeley, Law School, the west coast, and all their "confinements" and "conflicts".  He was here for New Years and if he can swing some job interviews in this area, might come here for Dennis and Donna's wedding on April 5th.  (I have to be an usher and wear a tuxedo.)

Dennis is now working (in-training) for Merrill, Lynch  Pierce, Fenner, Smith...or whatever learning how to be a stockbroker.  Donna is still doing some technical writing at Raytheon.  Harvy got a job as a reporter on the Cambridge Chronicle, a weekly.  He seems much happier although it's not his ideal job.  He'd rather work or be able to freelance for a more dynamic publication.

Elizabeth and I hope to be able to take a vacation July possibly taking a train across Canada and then going down to California.  That train is something I've wanted to do for years.  What are yo plans in terms of work?  I enjoy listening to your prison reports so please write back.  I could tell you more about our exciting life such as how we're falling into the TV rut, but I'll save it.  Oh, one thing that we have been doing that's been fun, relaxing, and useful is taking taichi.  It's a martial art but much different from karate.  The moves are flowing, circular, and very subtle.  Actually, initially, the art consists of learning numerous forms that have applications in terms of exercise, meditation, and relaxation much later self-defense.

In any event it's late once again.  Time to go to bed so I can get up to go to work, to go to bed, etc. See you, I hope, and take care.

Oh yes, write after you get over the shock of receiving  a letter from me.

December 16, 1974 (Card from Michael)

Have you gotten all my letters these past few months?  If you haven't I'm sorry and I'll send you another one real soon.  Liz and I have been working like hell 6 and 7 days a week for some time now.  It's letting up a bit now and hopefully we'll have some free time to spend relaxing and, of course, writing letters.  Hope you are well and don't give up on me yet.  See you (I hope also).

June 9, 1974 (Letter from Michael)

It's taken me a while to write back, but here I am.  Today was so damned hot, above 90.  It is still hot now -- 10pm.  As I sit here writing sweat is running down my arms and face, so if any smears appear in this letter it will not be tears.  Rather it will be the sweat that comes from toiling over a rough assignment such as this letter.

You know I always worry when writing letters to English majors or the like?  I get nervous that my speling may not be correct, or punctuation: or that my word usage may not be well or grammer. Library students frighten me even more.  Probably a great number of English majors would never know there was anything wrong with my writing, but librarians would know where to look to find out.

Well enough with the serious stuff, now with the bullshit.  (But first it should be noted that I am not stoned, high, or anything else, just very hot.)  Elizabeth and I are getting married.  (Do you want to check that last sentence over again?)  Yes, it's true.  Sept 1.  We just decided the end of April. We're very content with each other and are determined to come to terms w/ our fantasies. Actually we love each other enough but more practically and realistically are the financial advantages, i.e. taxes, insurance, presents, etc.  And also it makes it a bit easier to plan a future together.  Not that I am trying to rationalize the situation.  We do love each other and have come to the realization and decision that we could be most happy with each other.  (My brother, always one to look to for support in trying times said, "So why ruin a good friendship?")

In any event Liz's parents are ecstatic that we are headed out of a relationship of sin and into one of morality and legitimacy.  The event takes place as I said on Sept 1 in her back yard in Spring Valley, N.Y.  It's to be a casual affair, casual dress, good food and drink, and a good time.  We were going to do the ceremony ourselves but the prevailing opinion determined that it should be someone "official", hence my uncle who's a N.Y. State Supreme Court Judge.  You're invited even if you can't come, but I hope you can.  (Their house is just 20 minutes outside of New York City.) Tony expects to be able to come.

Which brings up another subject -- our trip to California.  We had a great time.  First went to Palm Springs to see my grandparents, then went to L.A. and Farmer's Market.  We had a rented car and drove up the coast to Frisco.  What a beautiful, fantastic drive!  (I suppose you know all about it.)  Took about 2 days to do that, stopping along the way, staying over, taking a tour of the Heart Castle at San Simeon.  That was an incredible place.  An example of obnoxious, flaunted American wealth, at the same time very beautiful and very well put together.  (Ah, some day it will belong to the people.) 

We spent 3 days in San Francisco with Tony taking us all over the place.  We had a good, fun time there.  Tony was fine and we were both glad to see each other.

Now we are back with the "post-vacation blues", back to work and reality.  The store has been doing relatively well, that means better, but I am still in debt thanks to my brother.  But I've halved it.  It was about $6,000 now it's about $3,000.  So before when I used to wake up twice in the middle of the night to remind myself, now I get up only once.

6/12/74 - Hi, back again.  So what's up with you?  Are you going to Manhasset?  Write back as soon as you can. I hope we can get together over the summer.

December 5, 1973 (Letter from Michael)

I have owed you a letter form some time now; sorry I haven't gotten around to it.  (For about two weeks after I got your second letter I carried it back and forth from work to home to have when I had the chance to write.)  So I'll give you the typical response of having no excuse and then give you excuses...I mean explanations.  Largely, almost entirely, that is, my life consists of working six days a week.  Nights and Sundays I seek amusement or, more often, fall out.  Work is OK but having little free time really gets to me.  Actually I wouldn't mind the lack of free time so much if there wasn't such a lack of money.  And that wouldn't be such a problem if my damn brother would ever open his store.  Do you believe that it's not open yet?  It's almost 4 months since the lease was signed.  But my brother does things full-assed.  His idea is to set the store up entirely, make it look beautiful, perfect, get all the stock in before opening.  That's fine if you can afford it.  But we're not quite in that position.  What he could be doing is selling stock while he's working on the interior, etc; but he doesn't believe in doing business that way.  Therefore with regard to that store money is going going out, not a bit is coming in.

Other than that, life is generally good.  Liz and I go to movies now and then, out to eat, or walk around.  We're living apart officially; essentially we're together 90% of our free time.  In some ways though it's good to have separate apartments as we can be apart when we want to.

I see Dennis 2-3 times a week.  He drops into the store to bullshit around.  He quit personnel work and is now selling insurance for John Hancock.  In fact he and Donna have really gotten into the middle class lifestyle.  They've gotten quite settled and bought all sorts of new things -- car, stereo, couch, table.  More than the accumulation of goods, which like the stereo I wouldn't mind having, though is their attitude.  I can see that they are almost on the verge of being trapped into the their mode of living.

Harvey can't stand any of us anymore because we're not acting like the hippie freaks we're supposed to be.  Up to a point I can relate to that.  But I know that I am working not because I want to but for basic survival.  In fact I have in no way compromised my ideals, beliefs, or desires for personal and social change.  But I fear most people can't live totally as they might wish.  What's critical, I think, is to make every effort to maintain one's beliefs, standards, principles, etc., even while one is forced by society to make certain apparent compromises.  (Is this making sense?  I am sort of rambling on, talking off the top of my head in between occasional customers.)  As well I constantly look for ways to help work for the changes which our society needs; although lately I have not been able to find movements or people with whom I desire to work.

Meanwhile Harvey has stopped attending classes and believe it or not is looking for work on a newspaper -- possibly with the Courier in Buffalo.

The other night some friends of mine at Boston College Law School asked me to be a witness for them in a mock trial.  I was a minister who was suing the defendant for libel -- he said I had misused church funds, smoked marijuana, and drank alcohol -- generally caroused around.  Well, it just wasn't true.  I was on the stand for almost 2 hours (I had had to memorize a bunch of stuff, make up the rest) and we won the case.  I sued for $50,000, won $10,000, but my lawyers said that it all goes to lawyers' fees.  C'est la vie.  But it was fun and interesting and I learned a bit about legal doings.

Well, that's it for now.  Please write when you get a chance.  Hope you are well, not working too hard, and more importantly hope yo might get an opportunity to come up and visit.

September 28, 1973 (Letter from Michael)

Michael and Elizabeth

Sorry I didn't write sooner, but I've been terribly busy.  For one thing, Elizabeth moved into her new apartment and I helped her set up.  Then, of course, I've been working full time -- six days a week -- in the store and there has been quite a lot to do.  Finally I am in the process of moving also -- on Oct first.  I never seem to have any free time and I just keep working, running around, and then falling out.

It was very good to receive your letter.  I must admit I have never gotten a letter in which the writer sounded so happy.  You sound real good; everything seems to be workout out well for you.  I hope that continues.

As I said I've been working all the time.  In some ways it is quite satisfying.  I pretty much have control of the store -- I do all the ordering and make the decision as to what items we carry, how the store should be organized, etc.  Obviously a lot of customers are pains in the ass but a lot also are really friendly, talkative, and especially pleased with what we offer them.  I feel a sense of accomplishment whenever someone comes in and says that since they spoke with me and tried my suggestions they have felt much better.  People come in all the time and say they have never had so much energy or that a specific ailment they've had for the longest time finally cleared up.  It's those times when I can forget that I am hardly getting paid, that my brother has fucked-up for over two years, and finally that we're not making money.

As it is, if my brother would ever get finished setting up the new store and stop taking money from this one, I could possibly start taking a $100 or $150 weekly salary, not to mention the food I take.  Business has picked up considerably since August two-three hundred a week.  I can't take full credit for it as September always proves to be an increased over the summer, yet I know that my efforts have helped quite a bit.

I got my Saab and I've been driving that all over the place.  I have 1900 miles on it after 5 1/2 weeks.  I like it.  I still have the wagon.  I can't seem to get rid of it and lately my brother's been using it for the new store and whenever he's had trouble with his car.  So now I've got two cars, two stores, and essentially two apartments; bills to pay off -- The American Dream in other words.

Sunday I plan to set up my apt.  I am kind of excited about that as actually it is the first apartment I will have had on my own (although I do have to get a roommate).  Basically, though it will just be nice to be able to settle down a little, relax, have people over to my own place, and so forth.

I hope you can get up here again, sometime.  You sound awfully busy yourself.  Perhaps some vacation you'll have some spare time.  Besides after you've gotten some training you'll be able to help me find some books I've been looking for in the library.  It's back to work for me.  Have fun, and take care my friend.