23 January 1963. Just over 44 years ago. I might have received this letter exactly 44 years ago. Does that mean any fucking thing?

He is going to see "The Days of Wine and Roses," which has just come out, starring Jack Lemon and Lee Remick. He tells me he stayed up almost all night in the barracks reading the paperback. The only information I can Google about that title is that the play and screenplay were written by one JP Miller. I see nothing about a novelization or paperback version of the play, but there must have been one because he wouldn't prevaricate about a thing like that. He wanted to read it first so that his impressions were not influenced by the movie, although he says he has already seen "previews" (trailers, we've learned to call them), so Jack and Lee now personify the characters in his mind.

I see Larry and me in that song, although we did not love each other through thick and thin (me rudely inserting the thin part about six months hence) and we were never winos of any kind - even had I stuck it out, alcoholism was not in any of my futures. I see us in "Diamonds and Rust," as well, even though that was never us either. No anti-war or civil rights demonstrations for us. We were long past before I got there. I don't know if he ever did. All we had was one semester at college together, a year's worth of letters, and then I left.

I remember Michael (the crack-addict boyfriend) telling me about seeing "Days of Wine and Roses" in rehab. Apparently it's a big favorite there.