November 29, 1973 (Letter from Leslie)

Well hello sweetie.  Thank you for sending the postcard so I know you are still alive.  I had imagined that you were busy.  I don't know what to say about us, I guess my last postcard is the most correct.  The subject is not a very good one for discussion by letter.  I hope in your next missal you will make some comments on the things I wrote -- your letter to me was a hard one to write an answer to and continuing thoughts on it have made me cover a lot of ground but if I am still important to you and your feelings haven't changed then I will be comfortable with that.  Please write a letter, though, because I miss your chatty letters discussing what you have been doing.  So no more on that until I hear from you again.

Your independent study project sounds interesting.  I have read (and will enclose it) that Rolling Stone has published a volume of select reviews and has just come our with record reviews from its early years of publication complete with a 20 page index.  As far as I can tell those are the only two aspect indexed.  I imagine you have your sources already but just in case not, Collison has written Indexes and Indexing and is somebody at least readable.

A couple of weeks ago on a Sunday I went to an antique show with my aunt.  I loved it and I think you would have enjoyed it.  It was at least 30 independent dealers showing select wares -- lots of crystal, boxes, and a few specializing in books.  One dealer was the best as far as having books, manuscripts, maps, and personal correspondence.  I could see myself getting into that whole racket -- I already collect stuff.

My car has been acting up and continues to eat gas so I've gone to the dealer where I bought my other motorcycle and have put down a deposit on a new Honda 350F.  It is the baby of the four cylinder bikes and should be smooth as glass -- no vibration like you have with twin cylinder bikes.  It will make a nice small touring bike, very comfortable, which is what I will need commuting to Albany as much as I do.  I'm looking forward to being on two wheels again.

Not much else -- I've been doing a lot of reading lately trying to get most things out of the way.  Had a nice Thanksgiving -- went to NYC for a hot minute.  My father forgot to leave the bills of lading at the terminal in Edgewater, N.J. and my granny was going down Friday to visit so Mom, Nana, and I left after dinner on Thurs and ran the errand.  Unfortunately the people I wanted to see were all busy.  Mom and I drove back on Friday.  I drove up through Manhattan and Yonkers and part way up the Taconic Parkway.  It was the most driving I have done in NYC and wasn't as bad as it looks.  Saturday I went to a party and it was like a small old home week with some long unseen faces.  Sunday was a second Thanksgiving dinner in Troy with friends.  The food was great -- everybody had contributed something -- I made the gravy.  It was good -- I like lots of people around holidays.

Will continue later.

Friday 30:Nov '73 - Good afternoon -- am sitting in the library school  library and thought I would finish writing this before doing some work.

The other day I picked up my pictures and I was really pleased the way they came out.  It was the first time using a tripod.  The longest exposure was 1 second.  I shot a roll of black and white and a roll of color.  The quality of the color pictures was really fine -- I was pleasantly surprised.  Took portrait shots of Mom, Nana, and Dad and they came out great.  So whenever I see you again, will you sit for me?

On the local AM stations they are starting to play Steely Dan's new song.  I don't know the title but it has the phrase "But I did not think that girl could be so cruel and I'm never going back to my old school."   Really fine.  Last night a bunch of us went to the Pub and they were playig some fine listening music by Aretha Franklin, Laura Nyro, and Carole King.  (I think mostly from the Fantasy album.)  Feel like dancing now again -- haven't been since I was in Pittsburgh.

Tonight Chris and I are going to see American Graffiti.  Have you seen it yet?  I've been meaning to go for at least a month and so am looking forward to it.  Still haven't gotten my records from RCA so no comments on Lookin' In.

I guess that's it for now.  I continue to try and understand you more than before and care for you very much.  Take care of yourself.

September 18, 1971 (Letter from Ralph and Al)

Well I guess you just said to yourself I'm having a good time so fuck everything else, fuck school I'm staying where I am and I'm going to dig and I really hope you still are digging whatever you're doing and I wish you the best of luck in hoping everything goes just great for you.  (Amen)

Right now Ralph, Tom and myself are back into the old swing of school and I myself am not digging it at all but c'est la vie because I don't have the balls to do what you did you sly bastard Nelson.  Anyhow after this year no more school for this kid for awhile.  Maybe a return to Europe which was really a fine trip.

Just to make you feel a little bit nostalgic, I'll describe a few bits about good old Buffalo.  Our apartment is cheap but the landlord sucks and he lives downstairs.  The other day the old buzzard came up and tacked a list of rules on the kitchen wall including no girls overnight then he told us no stereo after 9:00pm and no "niggers": over.  Too fucked up.  School's still the same I don't think it changed a bit since last year.  We found a way to call anywhere in the country for free so send me your phone number if you have one.  Anyhow send me a letter because I'd like to find out if you get this letter and I'd like to hear form you.  If you forget the address is 251 Jewett Avenue.

I'm still a vegetarian freak and Ralph I think is heading that way too.  I still haven't indulged in the evil weed although it might become necessary soon.  I might also proudly say that I haven touched a cigarette either.

What else?  Perhaps a word of advice and wisdom from the great seer and prophet mystical fucked up yogi maharishi, me.  As you ramble through life brother whatever maybe your goal keep your eye upon the donut and not upon the hold, but don't take that too seriously for the donut maybe stale and the hole nice and sweet.  A little abstract thought I felt like adding.  You know symbolic philosophy and anyhow I thought it sounded good.

And now a word from Ralph.

Greetings!  Blind Faith on the grammophone, right now.  Marmul and I sitting around doing next to nothing cause ain't got no car to split for Poverty Hill - remember that tract of land that Student Assn. bought south of here.  Had a good summer at Chautauqua -- good people, good times, and good payola.  In room $ something in 4230 Ridge Lea, there's some dude named Doctor Ono.   You'll never guess his real name.  No hit.  Dr Ono is alive and well in Buffalo.  Was able to register for photography for non-art majors -- I'm finally excited about a course -- after 4 years.  If this weren't' my last year, I would have packed in school.  The two weeks between the end of my summer job and the first day of classes were really soul-searching.  I actually came close to thumbing out West or flying east to Europe. Buffalo's the same old shithole -- just as easy to get into a rut, altho I'm confident that I'll be able to avoid that predicament.  Photography should help -- I have enough equipment to set up a darkroom her e-- so once I learn enough in the course, I'll have a very enjoyable pursuit to keep me going.  I'm really looking forward to it.  Seeing old friends this year has been good.  Many people have changed over the summer but I guess that's only normal.  My summer had the effect on me of making me blase and nonchalant and non-caring about even more, pretty things -- a lot of my uptightness has diminished and disappeared.  Runnin' lo on paper.  Tom isn't here right now (he's in Batavia), but he'll drop you a line soon.  Keep in touch.