Letters from the Inside, Michael Swango, #37

Dear KK---

Sorry for my somewhat hit & miss correspondence this week and (possibly) next week. Every few months I have some legal work/letters that need to be done--obviously that takes priority. I compartmentalize fairly well; "normal" in short order. Needless to say, what passes for "normal" under these circumstances is anything but...

Back to your initial "post-Alaska" letters later. First, a few items of interest from the past couple of weeks:

* Your will love this! Remember your blog/column "Calling all Kellys"? Well, google the name "Kelly Hildebrand" and your will find a woman who hunted for a man with the same name on-line/and married him! I heard the story on one of those entertainment details. Let me know, please. Talk about life imitating blog...

--Although it sounds like a classic "chic flick", "Julie & Julia" certainly has star power, with Meryl Streep & your fave Amy Adams. I'm sure it will find its niche-if not more.

--A film, adaptation of the late David Foster Wallace's "Brief Interviews With Hideous Men" is in the works. Trying to adapt an author of Wallace's complexity certainly seems like a challenge.

Actually, it's more than "in the works". Scheduled for U.S. release in September. Two familiar names: Directorial debut of John Krasinski" from the "Office" and stars Julianne Nicholson [Wheeler on "L&O CRIMINT" as they student interviewing men for a thesis.

--Over the weekend heard another good review of "Humpday". It emphasized that despite the plot line this is not a film about sex. Praised the three leads: the two male friends plus the wife of one of them. They also mentioned its "Mumblecore" pedigree.

--Same show: Split reviews on "SHRINK" but good reviews for Kevin Spacey's performance.

>One more film note: Tepid enclosed review of the French film "Girl From Monaco" But: Roger Ebert and your own "Village Voice" praised the film.

>Also enclosed/a somewhat unusual offering: The Wall Street Journal's art Francis Bacon Retrospective. Extremely well-written. He's not a big fan.

***

ALASKA: Glad to hear the cruise ship was so utterly pristine. No doubt all lines since those highly publicized outbreaks of illness aboard several ships in the past 2-3 years.

If indeed you did contract the "Swing Flu Variant" -you might be fortunate come the fall & winter. Predication's are for the swine flu to come back with a vengeance. I don't know if having it now will produce full immunity, especially if it mutates, as influenza, tends to do--but it certainly can't hurt to have at least some of the antibodies in your system.

You have no idea how much I wish you could be more "open" and much less inhibited. We run into sooo many roadblocks and sooo many truly enlightening and revealing discussions and subjects cannot even be approached- let alone explored in the depths & detail they deserve. So-a plateau is reached. Know that if or when your level of "comfort ability" increases, your will not be disappointed. And it will open up some must personal and fascinating exchanges between us. C'est la vie...but can be sooo much more.

[What is most interesting & intriguing is that both males & females with whom I correspond or have written to in the past are always totally open in all matters & subjects-precisely because of the situation. So your unwillingness or inability to be more open and more willing to explore the more personal and sensual side of what it means to be human is all the more puzzling. Again-if that changes a new level of knowledge of each of us awaits us both.]

"Correspond" is such an inexact word-writing can be so rich & rewarding & satisfying when you let it lead where it leads...

***

Must get this in the mail. "Float Trip from Hell" and "Don't Mess With TX" to follow.

You take care of yourself in your post-swine flu recovery, and write when you can. I'm sure you're still getting caught up on everything.

Hope you can find some of that elusive sunshine. Thinking of you...

Yours,

Michael