Letters from Marcy #20: 30 January 1966
Another letter from after Marcy’s return to Antioch.
The first few times I read the beginning of this letter, I misinterpreted it: I thought that “sitting here looking out at the snow and working diligently—like a precis of one of my favorite fairytales for my fourth graders” meant that sitting and looking at the snow was like a fairy tale. But nope, it means that one of the things she’s working on is writing a precis of a fairytale.
I’m particularly amused at Marcy’s disdain for Bob Dylan in this letter: “Like he has some damn fine and wise and perceptive things to say about where it’s at for kids and older kids, but he’s really a kind of crappy person, most superficial and successful and not terribly bright—this from two friends who knew him pretty well in new york last quarter.”
Which reminds me that, given how often Marcy uses the word “like” in these letters, I’m now even more eye-rolly than I used to be about people who’ve objected to subsequent generations’ use of ”like.”
[pencil: 1/30/66?]
Hello. sitting here looking out at the snow and working
diligently--like a precis of one of my favorite fairytales
for my fourth graders, makring phonics books, figuring out
math plans to teach long division and times tables (keep on
having visions of Mrs. Weiner and the terrible times tables
and all the agony we xxxxx went through and resolved to make
it pleasanter for these kids), working on communications and
creativity for senior ed project, still at loose ends about
next year; at the moment I don't particularly want to teach
but not especially gung ho about anything else, with the
possible exception of going to India---which will have to
wait till I can in some degree afford it and find suitable
traveling companions....perhaps in a few years some
foundation will pay me to study their x primary educational
systems.
also listening to tape of Bob Dylan and his Homespun
Philosophy For Teenagers, really nauseating. Like he has
some damn fine and wise and perceptive things to say about
where it's at for kids and older kids, but he's really a
kind xxx of crappy person, most superficial and successful
and not terribly bright--this from two xxxx friends who knew
him pretty well in new york last quarter. One thinks he's
God, just paid $25 for a really fine painting of him; her
roommate, a really fine and perceptive gal, is really upset
by such idiocy, thinks Dylan is, you should pardon the
experssion, something of an ass xxx, pompous variety.
Also kind of waiting for Carolyn to show up. She's visiting
from x Putney, Antioch's grad school in ed in Vermont, for
the week-end, has taken off with Rhodes and hasn't been
heard of since....
Julie Ehrlich, [half a line xed out here] who just stuck her
nose in the door, says hello and regards and all. Sally is
in Berkeley this quarter, working at a bookstore. Mike is
still aroundt, still making fine films. We spend an evening
together occasionally, very nice and all. Kind of going out
with his roommate, in a sort of accidental way.
Dont' know when I'll be getting to Phila; after the actual
date of lower plane fares I’ll have to figure out which
weekend would be good ....will have to borrow somebody's
identification as you have to be under 22 as well as a
student. Really an evil thing; gets you spoiled by flying
cheaply and then when you get to be too old you’re in the
habit and can't stand slower transportation. ///Meantime,
you could be of much help by sending ambodryls
posthaste---could also use a container of contact lens
wetting solution--tremendously expensive around here. And if
you really feel ambitious, I could make good use of that
grey coat and the blue bedspread currenlty in my room.... my
madras one is getting kind of shoddy, and awful faded, and
like four years of it is just about enough. The x grey coat
because I really need a long coat for teaching; have
borrowed a leather one but it doesn't really do much for
me---my jacket is still fine but need to keep moving fast to
keep warm in it, and just walking to school doesn't do the
trick, or walking around in the schoolyard. But if you don't
feel tremendously ambitious, I will be most happy with the
ambodryl.s.
How are the sachses and all such?
somewhere I have a receipt for the tuition bill and itemized
thing but can't find it at the moment; things are a bit
disorganized, as usual.
ogod. now it's the beatles. grrrr.
any mail from the treasury dept or keams canyon arizona?
somebody better get on the stick and send me some w-2 forms
pretty quick.
getting late, have to get back to the math before the
library decides to close,
take care,
[handwritten: love, Marcia]
Postmark: Jan 31, 1966, Yellow Springs, Ohio. Handwritten: “Rec'd this 2/1” and “tell her no mail from Keams Canon + we fwded l to her from IRS some wks ago” and “ck we sent Mon 1/2 for $50.00 not thru bank yet—also $70 on 1/19 } why?” and “Send M allowance ck.”