Letter, February 1963. New movies out - "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" and "Phaedra" with Melina Mercouri. I remember both of them. "Baby Jane" was scary, if only because Betty Davis' makeup, very brave for an actress of her calibre - not too many will consent to becoming caricatures of themselves on film. "Phaedra" was wonderful - I remember Mercouri and Anthony Perkins, driving along a seaside road in Greece? Supposed to be someplace like that. Probably Highway 101. Another shocking film for its time. I wanted to be her. I wanted to be there.
Friday, January 23, 2004
Thursday, January 22, 2004
A card from Ft. Lee, VA, dated February 28, 1963. I have just turned 20. I am attending Carthage College, Carthage Illinois. It is my sophomore year. My fiancee', whom I had met here the year before, and who has since graduated, has enlisted in the army to serve out his two year stint. Customary at that time. Viet Nam is not yet in my news. He talks of the mechanics of buying a fifth of Cognac in Virginia, at something called the ABC store. Selling liquor by the drink is not allowed. It's the whole bottle, drunk privately somewhere, or nothing at all.
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Well, it's been a while since last we spoke. Holidays. Dead shows. Beginning the year. All that stuff. But now, I'm trying to be back, trudging onward through my little life.
1961-whenever. And this will center around a package of letters I have from my first real love, the man I should have married, had I been a better and a stronger person. I will not be personal, and will quote nothing unless it is socially pertinent. You will not have to suffer through the declarations of young love. I am looking for signs of life in the early 60's, which do not differ much from the 50's. It is not until at least 1965, if not 1967, that the 60's actually begin. However, I think there may be one or two items in this folder which are not relationship related. And the first thing I pull out of the new folder seems to be something related to absolutely nothing in particular. It is an account of a concert given at Carthage College (in Carthage, Illinois), ostensibly written for the college newspaper, and may be something I wrote myself. However, given the red pencil marks, and a figure of 80 1/2 at the end, I'm wondering if it's from a journalism class. But I don't think I took a journalism class. And I know I wrote better than this, even then. Did I grade this? Or change it? None of that interests even me, except out of idle curiousity. But as a simple slice of campus life, I will give you one paragraph:
"Dr. Paul Karvonen directs the oratorio. This is his first year on our campus. He says that he enjoys his work here very much, and believes that the performance of Elijah will be very successful." Doesn't tell us much, does it?
1961-whenever. And this will center around a package of letters I have from my first real love, the man I should have married, had I been a better and a stronger person. I will not be personal, and will quote nothing unless it is socially pertinent. You will not have to suffer through the declarations of young love. I am looking for signs of life in the early 60's, which do not differ much from the 50's. It is not until at least 1965, if not 1967, that the 60's actually begin. However, I think there may be one or two items in this folder which are not relationship related. And the first thing I pull out of the new folder seems to be something related to absolutely nothing in particular. It is an account of a concert given at Carthage College (in Carthage, Illinois), ostensibly written for the college newspaper, and may be something I wrote myself. However, given the red pencil marks, and a figure of 80 1/2 at the end, I'm wondering if it's from a journalism class. But I don't think I took a journalism class. And I know I wrote better than this, even then. Did I grade this? Or change it? None of that interests even me, except out of idle curiousity. But as a simple slice of campus life, I will give you one paragraph:
"Dr. Paul Karvonen directs the oratorio. This is his first year on our campus. He says that he enjoys his work here very much, and believes that the performance of Elijah will be very successful." Doesn't tell us much, does it?
