Letters from the Inside, Michael Swango, #87

Dear Kelly,

Once again my apologies for the delay in writing and mailing this letter to you. I had to take care of some minor but necessary legal work--hopefully the last until fall. In any event, always pleased to get back to writing and talking to one of my favorite people. I'm sure another letter will closely follow this one as there is much to say/but I am determined at least to make a start today!

First of all--thank you for clearing up the confusion (mine, not yours!) about your lovely and honest and (as it turns out) one-page "green letter". I will answer it in full---but first to more time-sensitive topics:

OK- Your 40th Birthday: Your story of your encounter with Emily Gould was uncomfortable, cringe-inducing, and very, very funny--all at the same time. That would be a great story to tell at one of your stand-up slams. Your "Cliff Notes" version of her book was brilliant begging with "Whiny narcissist moves to NYC..." If brevity is the Soul of Wit, your pithy summary has lots of soul, KK.

Lovely sexy (and sexual) photo. Trust me, Kelly, the "Sex and the City" women have nothing on you. And by the way, even more in the soft focus, your eyes and mouth are amazing. Also to quote Mrs. Cunningham in "Seinfeld": LOVE THE SHOES!

[Ed.: There was nothing sexy or sexual about the photo he was sent. It was the one I posted here of me in a knee-length, high-necked black dress with pink wedge heels. While I think I looked pretty and fashionable, it was totally demure.]

So again, happy 40th. Your best is ahead of you sexy lady. I'm sure of it. But remember all things considered you've done pretty well up until now.

One more thin on you and Ms. Gould: Do you not find it quite a coincidence that you both have a panic disorder and the somewhat rare disease of interstitial cystitis?

The best ending to this would be if you two could somehow become friends. Once you could both laugh about the "incident," maybe even good friends?

BTW: I have been involved in loving intense relationships with at least two women with whom I disagreed on so much.

[Ed.: I'm omitting a bunch of movie commentary.]

Your commens on the British elections are not unexpected! I've always been an Anglophile--their films, their authors, history and politics.

Once again---I love the fact that while we have so many things in common, there are also several subjects on which we are apples and oranges. But I must tell you that I am drawn to topics and ideas that someone whose opinion I respect either appreciates or espouses. Two examples from a recent post: Surrealism and Architecture. Because of the latter I have become fascinated with the Byzantine goings-on at the NY/NJ Port Authority and the (so-far) ten year epic mess to build something at Ground Zero.

So what this all means is that you do draw me in to your worlds of cooking and blogging---and I thank you!

Two subjects I am very surprised we haven't discussed, especially the first one:

>JONESTOWN: Nov 1978. KK, even with all the horrors that occurred since the late 70s, JONESTOWN remains a singular event in our history.

A full commentary and analysis at some point. You talk about obsession and sociopathy--how one man could cause 800+ people to commit suicide...to kill their own children.

>The novels of Bret Easton Ellis. I mention this now because his new book, Imperial Bedrooms, is apparently a sequel to the book that put him on th emap, his first novel, LESS THAN ZERO.

Yes, I am quite familiar with his brutally sadistic and misogynistic novel, American Psycho, which somehow also managed to perfectly capture the nihilistic materialsm of the late 1980s.

Obviously I have barely touched your most recent letter---a long fantastic letter where you answered three of mine. So that is where I will begin tomorrow or the next day.

Preview: Totally agree with you on the LOST finale. It was beautiful--for me to say that means it really was beautiful--and in keeping with the mantra, "Everything that Rises Must Converge". My full comments to follow--and do keep your eye out for a one or more articles on LOST that analyze the shit ouf of the finale and the entire series. Thanks. XOXO says Gossip Girl.

Much more to follow, Kelly. Thinking of you, stay safe and hope you get lots of warm weather this month.

Yours,

Michael