Recently I was asked what I write to these inmates and if I will include them in my Letters from the Inside project. I posted the first intro letter I send to most of them. After that I alternate between typing up letters of response to theirs--these I keep saved on my computer--and handwriting small cards. Obviously the cards I do not have copies of.
However, I will post my two latest writings to Thomas Bart Whitaker and Swango, respectively.
I try never to say anything about my feelings towards their crimes. To clarify, of course I have feelings about that and their writings, but it is not my intention to bad-mouth or exploit them either to them personally through letters or online. Hence my rule of trying not to editorialize. I post their writings (and my own) for you to have a reaction. Whatever it may be... I don't want to lead your opinions. That is what art is, isn't it? Letting the viewer feel whatever they are going to and not trying to dictate what the "right" response is?
***
Hello Thomas:
This letter will be written in fits and spurts. I am sitting here with the most dastardly migraine ever. In 2005 I was in a serious vespa accident with my friend Stefani (She was the driver; I was on the back.) A van hit us head-on, but luckily I saw it coming and just let go and flew off without being hit. My friend was not so lucky. She was actually hit by the van and flipped over the bars. Both of her arms were broken in so many places she has metal rods in them and was in casts for well over six months. She has had multiple surgeries and had brain damage. It has been years and she is almost back to normal. Her brain injury has cleared up considerably and she recently had a baby. I was in the delivery room as her birth coach. Because of this accidentI hurt my jaw in itI get awful migraines from TMJ. I have one now and am trying to distract myself by writing.
I am thinking of you because I am reading your father's book. I am almost finished. I assume you have read it. The part at the end makes total sense. About the masks, and all. Not feeling you had an identity or strong sense of self. Again, these seem to be your fathers words so Im not sure you exactly said that I just wanted to say that I will try to keep from having any expectations of you. Im sorry if my questions were heavy and stressful. We can keep it light
If anything I ask is upsetting or makes you feel that I am expecting somethingor too much of somethingjust ignore it or tell me to shut up.
I read you used to bicycle. I have never learned to ride a bike. I grew up really poor. We were on welfare. So I never learned. I also never learned to drive a car. I admire that you were so proficient at it (the bike riding), covering such long distances. I have tried but almost never can do it. However, oddly, once I was on a small, three mile island off the coast of Belize called Caye Caulker, and there were no cars. We rented bikes for $2 for the day. I got on, and miraculously I rode all around with no problem. It was really surprising. I guess it was of the sand and no traffic. The only hazard were chickens running about. When I returned home, that summer I got on a bike at the beach and immediately fell off. Try as I might I couldnt do it. The magic was gone.
I also learned you were engaged! Did you ever get to speak to the fianc again? Do you write to each other? This may be a touchy subject, so of course, feel free to ignore it
Actually my ex-husband and I are friends now. We both enjoy ribbing each other but our relationship is not contentious. We arent very close, but we keep in touch.
I keep going to your blog anxiously waiting for another posting. I assume it is quite time-consuming, especially with your schooling and others things like letters to write. Still, those blog entries are so well written.
I had promised to send some blog entries so Im going to paste in a sampling below.
Be well.
KK
***
Hello Michael,
Just got your 2nd letter. You are catching me with another migraine. I usually take Imitrex but my insurance doesnt cover anymore so they gave me a replacement, Relpax, which works. However, it seems that when I take it I get rebound headaches. Luckily today is a Saturday and I only had planned to run some errands and go to the used bookstore. There is this great bookstore in the basement of the local library that is housed in an old brownstone. I love that place. I am almost done with the Diane Arbus bio. So Im up for a new book. However, I literally have shelves of books I havent read that I want to. I hoard books like a demented squirrel would nuts.
So today I walked my little dachshund, Mini, and a lady informed me the famed Dachshund meetup in Washington Square Park is April 25th. I have never been but I am going to try. Mini would love it and I love weiner dogs.
Thanks for the kind comments on the samplings from Outside the Box. I need to clarify something though. The dating column is what you have been reading and what is referenced in the Observer article. The blog, The Unbearable Heaviness of Being, is not anything to do with dating/sex. It is merely a recounting of my days and quirky happenings I observe in NYC. I have been writing it for over 9 years and its premise is that a single woman in NYC cant have and keep these three things: a great job, an affordable, safe apt. and a stable relationship. The minute I try to get the third, the other one or two fall off. Its kinda mathematical. I sent you in the last letter that I mailed yesterday a sample blog entry. It is about a pigeon.
I read your Richardson info. with interest and have not heard even rumors of any kind of investigation. While I do know many NY journalists I specialize in doing PR only for the real estate industry so I have no access to those who would be doing serious investigative reporting. I am going to Google this later to see if there are any mentions on the web of an investigation or any inkling of error on the doctors/hospitals part.
As for Dexter, yes, it is on my list of things to rent. I have so many things I want to see that it will take time. Right now Im enthralled with a series called ALICE on HBO-L (Latin) that I can watch ON-Demand with English subtitles. It is my new fave show and I eagerly look forward to Mondays to see the new one. Youd like it Im sure b/c it takes place in Sao Paolo and the lead, Alice, is very pretty and interesting. I am also trying to rent the first season of In Treatment starring Gabriel Byrne. The new ones start tomorrow but I need to see the first season first. I didnt have HBO for a long time so I have a lot of catch-up to do now that I have it.
I will send more of my writing, of course, and am pasting in a blog entry below. Also, I will not send the Letter to Paul Janka for several reasons. It was forced upon me to write by the editor of the paper and I hated doing it. It was not well-written and way too graphic and completely inappropriate to send.
And quickly, yes, in 2005, I was fired for having a blog. It is a long story, but back then blogs were new things. I never wrote about my job or companyonly my own life and certainly nothing perverted, graphic, etc. I was wooed by another company to work for them and quit my job. My boss took it very personally and my newly hired asst. who I hated was promoted within one week to my job. No matter, I was gone. But then my old boss wooed me back with a much higher salary and I decided to go back. My evil asst. was livid that she was once again an asst. and hacked into my blog (it was passcoded then as it is once again) and passed it around the office. My ex-boss was angry at the disruption and fired me. He said Id never work in real estate in NYC again. It was daunting and I was very upset. He was working, however, on the assumption that Id want to keep my firing quiet, but instead I publicized it. The NY Post picked up the story, doing a full-page article on it; Crains followed. I was invited on tv shows, etc. I parlayed it into starting my own firm and the rest is history. It has been 4 years and it all worked out. From that I ended up getting a job filling in for a TV reporter for the biggest morning show in the UK on GMTV. I did some segments on wacky NY trends. It was great fun and the clips are on youtube, I believe.
Okay, enough for now, because my head is going to explode, and I need to head to the bookstore before it closes.
KK
Friday, April 10, 2009
Poison
It has been days nows. I have a migraine that makes the whole left side of my head feel like someone kicked it in like a mushy melon. Sure, I get migraines. I have gotten awful ones since the Vespa accident. They come from my jaw not fitting together properly and spasming. I usually take Imitrex, but last year my insurance company would not longer cover it, instead offering up Relpax, which seems to work within an hour.
But these last 2 weeks I have had one every single day. The pill will alleviate it a bit for a while but then it comes back. My stomach hurts, I get diarrhea and light/sound/smells upset me.
Last night I felt so sick. Like I should be running to the ER kind of sick. I even went to get a massage hoping it'd help.
I was restless; laying down makes it worse because even something as soft as a pillow hurts.
I reread Swango's letters. Two in two days. Hm..they seem to be coming fast and furious. I sit back and think, what am I doing this for? How do I feel about these characters. It is this helping me understand and cope with what John did? I don't have answers yet, but I keep on, compelled.
My therapist thinks this book idea is genius and the dude is pretty fucking smart, so I will choose--right now at least--to believe in him even if I can't believe in myself.
God the pounding was and is something awful.
I decided to Google Swango and stare at his picture.
And I came across this passage in an article written about him in a book that chronicled his crimes:
Headaches began. Pounding, dizzying headaches. Always troubled by migraines, KK had never experienced anything as miserable as these. For a while she attributed them to tension but deep down inside she wondered if Swango was dropping chemicals in her food. She was a nurse, a good one, and she most likely feared the worst.
Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and rushed back to her mother's house in Virginia. Away from Swango, the headaches abruptly ended.
Gone from him, she continued to love him. Perhaps she continued to believe, meekly, that Swango was innocent and all would be right in the end. But, she couldn't, just couldn't, explain why those headaches vanished the day she left.
She weighed her emotions, separated her hopes from the obvious, until the obvious became too unbearable. And then she committed suicide.
At her apartment police found a note left behind, addressed to her mom and Al Cooper:
"I love you both so much. I just didn't want to be here anymore. Just found day-to-day living a constant struggle with my thoughts. I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not. I feel that sense of peace, 'peace of mind,' I've been looking for. It's nice."
An addendum below, to Michael, read:
"I love you more! You're the most precious man I've ever known.
"Love, KK"
My Goodness! I knew he had affianced a woman named KK. (She would have been my age if not for that dastardly suicide.) But the headaches. And finding that passage about them, when his letters came so frequently that matched with the intensity of the migraines I am getting. I allowed myself to become paranoid and think maybe he is putting something on these letters to poison me.
I talked to a friend whose husband is a police sargeant. She said that maybe I wasn't being paranoid. I also noted that I have always thought it odd that he wraps a blank sheet of paper around his letters. Paper is hard to come by for prisoners and I have always thought it strange that he wastes a whole sheet of it in each envelope. His letters range from 5-11 pages, long hand, so there is no need to cover them in a blank sheet to hide the words from view through the envelope.
Later that night my friend called me and said her husband had said he thinks it is highly likely Swango is dousing them with some sort of cleaning agent or heavy metal and that I should get bloodwork done.
There is NO way I can go to my general practitioner and request she look for poison. She is the one I went to the day after I found out about the "poison" John exposed me for two years.
And then I came upon this:
She said arsenic was found in her daughter's body at the time of her death. Before her death, Ms. Kinney showed signs of arsenic poisoning, such as vomiting, migraine headaches, nausea and disorientation, Mrs. Cooper said.
We know that he poisoned Kristin Kinney, said Al Cooper, Ms. Kinney's stepfather.
Swango fiancee Kristin Kinney killed herself. Her parents believe arsenic poisoning caused mental disorientation that triggered the suicide.
For Your Reading Pleasure
But these last 2 weeks I have had one every single day. The pill will alleviate it a bit for a while but then it comes back. My stomach hurts, I get diarrhea and light/sound/smells upset me.
Last night I felt so sick. Like I should be running to the ER kind of sick. I even went to get a massage hoping it'd help.
I was restless; laying down makes it worse because even something as soft as a pillow hurts.
I reread Swango's letters. Two in two days. Hm..they seem to be coming fast and furious. I sit back and think, what am I doing this for? How do I feel about these characters. It is this helping me understand and cope with what John did? I don't have answers yet, but I keep on, compelled.
My therapist thinks this book idea is genius and the dude is pretty fucking smart, so I will choose--right now at least--to believe in him even if I can't believe in myself.
God the pounding was and is something awful.
I decided to Google Swango and stare at his picture.
And I came across this passage in an article written about him in a book that chronicled his crimes:
Headaches began. Pounding, dizzying headaches. Always troubled by migraines, KK had never experienced anything as miserable as these. For a while she attributed them to tension but deep down inside she wondered if Swango was dropping chemicals in her food. She was a nurse, a good one, and she most likely feared the worst.
Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and rushed back to her mother's house in Virginia. Away from Swango, the headaches abruptly ended.
Gone from him, she continued to love him. Perhaps she continued to believe, meekly, that Swango was innocent and all would be right in the end. But, she couldn't, just couldn't, explain why those headaches vanished the day she left.
She weighed her emotions, separated her hopes from the obvious, until the obvious became too unbearable. And then she committed suicide.
At her apartment police found a note left behind, addressed to her mom and Al Cooper:
"I love you both so much. I just didn't want to be here anymore. Just found day-to-day living a constant struggle with my thoughts. I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not. I feel that sense of peace, 'peace of mind,' I've been looking for. It's nice."
An addendum below, to Michael, read:
"I love you more! You're the most precious man I've ever known.
"Love, KK"
My Goodness! I knew he had affianced a woman named KK. (She would have been my age if not for that dastardly suicide.) But the headaches. And finding that passage about them, when his letters came so frequently that matched with the intensity of the migraines I am getting. I allowed myself to become paranoid and think maybe he is putting something on these letters to poison me.
I talked to a friend whose husband is a police sargeant. She said that maybe I wasn't being paranoid. I also noted that I have always thought it odd that he wraps a blank sheet of paper around his letters. Paper is hard to come by for prisoners and I have always thought it strange that he wastes a whole sheet of it in each envelope. His letters range from 5-11 pages, long hand, so there is no need to cover them in a blank sheet to hide the words from view through the envelope.
Later that night my friend called me and said her husband had said he thinks it is highly likely Swango is dousing them with some sort of cleaning agent or heavy metal and that I should get bloodwork done.
There is NO way I can go to my general practitioner and request she look for poison. She is the one I went to the day after I found out about the "poison" John exposed me for two years.
And then I came upon this:
She said arsenic was found in her daughter's body at the time of her death. Before her death, Ms. Kinney showed signs of arsenic poisoning, such as vomiting, migraine headaches, nausea and disorientation, Mrs. Cooper said.
We know that he poisoned Kristin Kinney, said Al Cooper, Ms. Kinney's stepfather.
Swango fiancee Kristin Kinney killed herself. Her parents believe arsenic poisoning caused mental disorientation that triggered the suicide.
For Your Reading Pleasure
Letters from the Inside, Sarah Jo Pender, #4
[Note: clouds drawn on outside of envelope around "To:" and "From:" address.]
Kelly,
I received the New Yorker article, thank you. I used to subscribe to the New Yorker for several years before I escaped. Oddly, my favorite part was the Tables for Two restaurant reviews. The article were good too. Long and well written, but I have a thing for food and the nuances of cool restaurants.
Anyway, I read the article twice and was so moved, I wrote the Commissioner of Indiana Dept. of Corrections a letter to thank you.
[Ed.: the article she is referring to is an article in the New Yorker called HELL HOLE. It was a ten-pager chronicling the hazards of solitary confinement. They spoke with prisoners, psychologists, wardens, etc. It was a fascinating article and seeing that Pender has to serve a year in solitary, in her cell alone without any contact for 23 hours every day, I thought the article might interest her. Specifically, the Commissioner that deals with her specific state prison is quoted as saying how dangerous it is.]
Back in December, when I was returned to DOC and charged within the institution with ESCAPE, a class "A" offense. The maximum punishment for any class "A" offense is one year in isolation, and a loss of earned time of what equates to 3 1/2 years, and that's what I got.
In January, a memo came out and effective February 15, 2009, the Commissioner reduced the max time allotted in isolation to 30 days for a class "A" or up to 60 days if it includes battery of an officer.
This is not applied retroactively.
So, despite still having to serve one year up here, I wrote to thank him for acknowledging the severity of long term isolation and for having the courage to take an unpopular stand in a political environment.
I know what it's like to take an unpopular stand. Though, of course, I won't articulate that to him. A simple thanks is enough.
Oh, and thanks for cutting off the web address. No problem coming through.
[Ed.: Certain prisons do not allow prisoners to receive articles directly from the web if they have a url listed. I have to cut those off for her. Some other prisons allow it but only 2-3 pages of an article at a time.]
I now have three books on publishing, one that includes how to do a book proposal. I decided there were probably hundreds of books on the subject for a reason: It's not a simple task, so I had a few ordered.
But I'll worry about that a little later.
Thank you for your advice about magazine submissions, though. It will come in handy.
I hear several women talking loudly down the hall, about crude subjects and one in particular whose laugh reminds me of a sinister clown, reminiscent of "Hours of 1000 Corpses." I loathe loud noise unless it's supposed to be loud. The stereo playing a kick-ass song or a live concert. A garbage truck. A waste disposal. A lawn mower. Even those things are annoying if I'm not ready for them. Like my neighbor mowing his lawn at 7am on a Saturday while I'm recovering from one too many margaritas. Mostly I enjoy quiet. Not silence, but quiet. I like it to be quiet enough that I can hear the sound of graphic over paper as I write. [Ed.: She only uses pencil to write her letters to me.] That's why I stay up until one or two o'clock in the morning to sit at my door and write by the light that filters in from the hall lights. There's no talking and lights out by 11pm, so I get time to relax and delve into my consciousness and discover what is there.
Right now it's probably one in the afternoon and I see a delft blue sky without any cloud cover, and the fresh blooms of a flower garden. There's a little fat, brown-tailed squirrel walking slowly through the garden, stopping to investigate every few leaf shoots. He stops, and digs into the earth with his tiny hands and retrieves what may be a nut. A small, black, round object that he turns and turns in his mouth until he bites down on it and beings travelling again. A dozen leaf shoots later, he beings digging with his paws and places the nut into the groud, covering it back up feverishly. Satisfied, he moves on to another section of the garden until he finds another treasure and runs off to the nearest tree, out of sight.
Hey, at least I don't have to watch cockroaches. Although, we do have numerous little black bugs that resemble miniature moths. Larger than a gnat. Smaller than a fly. [Ed. She draws one.] <---That big. And I kill off anywhere between 2 and 4 of them daily.
I thin they are attracted to the mold in the shower room, and then migrate down the hall to our rooms.
Man, I miss my queen size bed, pink fuzzy slippers, and my entire bathroom, full of hot water to sooth, make up to zazz up, and great dental products for longevity.
Oh well. Onwards with a new future,
Take care,
Sarah
Kelly,
I received the New Yorker article, thank you. I used to subscribe to the New Yorker for several years before I escaped. Oddly, my favorite part was the Tables for Two restaurant reviews. The article were good too. Long and well written, but I have a thing for food and the nuances of cool restaurants.
Anyway, I read the article twice and was so moved, I wrote the Commissioner of Indiana Dept. of Corrections a letter to thank you.
[Ed.: the article she is referring to is an article in the New Yorker called HELL HOLE. It was a ten-pager chronicling the hazards of solitary confinement. They spoke with prisoners, psychologists, wardens, etc. It was a fascinating article and seeing that Pender has to serve a year in solitary, in her cell alone without any contact for 23 hours every day, I thought the article might interest her. Specifically, the Commissioner that deals with her specific state prison is quoted as saying how dangerous it is.]
Back in December, when I was returned to DOC and charged within the institution with ESCAPE, a class "A" offense. The maximum punishment for any class "A" offense is one year in isolation, and a loss of earned time of what equates to 3 1/2 years, and that's what I got.
In January, a memo came out and effective February 15, 2009, the Commissioner reduced the max time allotted in isolation to 30 days for a class "A" or up to 60 days if it includes battery of an officer.
This is not applied retroactively.
So, despite still having to serve one year up here, I wrote to thank him for acknowledging the severity of long term isolation and for having the courage to take an unpopular stand in a political environment.
I know what it's like to take an unpopular stand. Though, of course, I won't articulate that to him. A simple thanks is enough.
Oh, and thanks for cutting off the web address. No problem coming through.
[Ed.: Certain prisons do not allow prisoners to receive articles directly from the web if they have a url listed. I have to cut those off for her. Some other prisons allow it but only 2-3 pages of an article at a time.]
I now have three books on publishing, one that includes how to do a book proposal. I decided there were probably hundreds of books on the subject for a reason: It's not a simple task, so I had a few ordered.
But I'll worry about that a little later.
Thank you for your advice about magazine submissions, though. It will come in handy.
I hear several women talking loudly down the hall, about crude subjects and one in particular whose laugh reminds me of a sinister clown, reminiscent of "Hours of 1000 Corpses." I loathe loud noise unless it's supposed to be loud. The stereo playing a kick-ass song or a live concert. A garbage truck. A waste disposal. A lawn mower. Even those things are annoying if I'm not ready for them. Like my neighbor mowing his lawn at 7am on a Saturday while I'm recovering from one too many margaritas. Mostly I enjoy quiet. Not silence, but quiet. I like it to be quiet enough that I can hear the sound of graphic over paper as I write. [Ed.: She only uses pencil to write her letters to me.] That's why I stay up until one or two o'clock in the morning to sit at my door and write by the light that filters in from the hall lights. There's no talking and lights out by 11pm, so I get time to relax and delve into my consciousness and discover what is there.
Right now it's probably one in the afternoon and I see a delft blue sky without any cloud cover, and the fresh blooms of a flower garden. There's a little fat, brown-tailed squirrel walking slowly through the garden, stopping to investigate every few leaf shoots. He stops, and digs into the earth with his tiny hands and retrieves what may be a nut. A small, black, round object that he turns and turns in his mouth until he bites down on it and beings travelling again. A dozen leaf shoots later, he beings digging with his paws and places the nut into the groud, covering it back up feverishly. Satisfied, he moves on to another section of the garden until he finds another treasure and runs off to the nearest tree, out of sight.
Hey, at least I don't have to watch cockroaches. Although, we do have numerous little black bugs that resemble miniature moths. Larger than a gnat. Smaller than a fly. [Ed. She draws one.] <---That big. And I kill off anywhere between 2 and 4 of them daily.
I thin they are attracted to the mold in the shower room, and then migrate down the hall to our rooms.
Man, I miss my queen size bed, pink fuzzy slippers, and my entire bathroom, full of hot water to sooth, make up to zazz up, and great dental products for longevity.
Oh well. Onwards with a new future,
Take care,
Sarah
Letters from the Inside, Ann Miller Kontz
I recently watched 48 Hour Mystery about the Ann Miller poison case. Read about the case here
It was such an odd one that I decided to write to her. Today, she replied. An interesting thing to note is she sent me a greeting card. It is pink and had a cute kitten on it. The card says: "Purrfect Peace to You" and in the back there is a bit of scripture and a message about how "Pets are God's lovable creatures. We hope these furry friends brighten your day and bring a smile to your face!"
***
[Inside card]
Dear Kelly,
It was nice to hear from you. I appreciate your taking the time to write. Unfortunately, what you saw on TV was not my story--but that of people who don't know me or care to know the truth. I'm sure you noticed my family, friends and I neglected to participate. That has always been the case. Media can't be trusted to get it right. From the start they misquited my family and friends so no one entertains them. We all figure if we dn't say anything at all--it gives them nothing to twist. Perhaps one day I'll talk to someone but I assure you it will be special circumstances. Enough of that--My family and I didn't watch it and I don't even want to write about it except to say this:
I'm sorry--the person on TV wasn't really who I am-hopefully if we become "pen-pals" you'll get to know me. Since I didn't view it-I'm not at all sure about what they had to say---but please don't allow that to be your first impression of me.
Let me tell you a bit about myself... (contintued on paper)
[The inscription on the inside of the cards says: "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, who thoughts are fixed on You!" ISAIAH 26:3 NLT
[continued on green lined post-it type paper that has a picture of a little yellow chicken on it that says: PUT SPRING IN YOUR STEP!)
New York--cool--my favorite. In my opinioin it's the best city in teh world. I've always wanted to live there--since I was a little girl. Born in upstate NY and raised in Pennsylvania--my family frequeted the city 2-3 times a year.
As I grew older, I kept the tradition going. I could tell you the address of every single Coach store. That would be my weakness. :) I have remarried and my husband is also from NY (still has some family there) -- I's the first place we want to visit when I get out of here.
What part of NY are you from?
I'd love to hear some NY stories---maybe even see some pictures and travel down memory lane.
I am 39-just had my birthday last week. I am married & will celebrate my 6th anniversary this fall. My husband's name is Paul Kontz (so if you write back please address it to Ann Kontz--I am in the system as Ann Kontz.)
I have a 9 year old daughter who is the most beautiful little girl in the world. She is naturally joy-filled and she has a compassionate spirit. I have a 24 year old step-daughter about to get married. My daughter lives with my sister (of which I have two.)0
Prior to prison-I enjoyed jogging, water-skiing and traveling. Now my hobbies are walking (because we can't run) reading and Pilates/yoga.
Well-I'll close for now.
I pray you'll decide to write back adn I'll share more in my next letter.
God Bless,
Ann
P.S. The card was awesome. I gather the website on the back was how you made/ordered it? My sister would love that.
It was such an odd one that I decided to write to her. Today, she replied. An interesting thing to note is she sent me a greeting card. It is pink and had a cute kitten on it. The card says: "Purrfect Peace to You" and in the back there is a bit of scripture and a message about how "Pets are God's lovable creatures. We hope these furry friends brighten your day and bring a smile to your face!"
***
[Inside card]
Dear Kelly,
It was nice to hear from you. I appreciate your taking the time to write. Unfortunately, what you saw on TV was not my story--but that of people who don't know me or care to know the truth. I'm sure you noticed my family, friends and I neglected to participate. That has always been the case. Media can't be trusted to get it right. From the start they misquited my family and friends so no one entertains them. We all figure if we dn't say anything at all--it gives them nothing to twist. Perhaps one day I'll talk to someone but I assure you it will be special circumstances. Enough of that--My family and I didn't watch it and I don't even want to write about it except to say this:
I'm sorry--the person on TV wasn't really who I am-hopefully if we become "pen-pals" you'll get to know me. Since I didn't view it-I'm not at all sure about what they had to say---but please don't allow that to be your first impression of me.
Let me tell you a bit about myself... (contintued on paper)
[The inscription on the inside of the cards says: "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, who thoughts are fixed on You!" ISAIAH 26:3 NLT
[continued on green lined post-it type paper that has a picture of a little yellow chicken on it that says: PUT SPRING IN YOUR STEP!)
New York--cool--my favorite. In my opinioin it's the best city in teh world. I've always wanted to live there--since I was a little girl. Born in upstate NY and raised in Pennsylvania--my family frequeted the city 2-3 times a year.
As I grew older, I kept the tradition going. I could tell you the address of every single Coach store. That would be my weakness. :) I have remarried and my husband is also from NY (still has some family there) -- I's the first place we want to visit when I get out of here.
What part of NY are you from?
I'd love to hear some NY stories---maybe even see some pictures and travel down memory lane.
I am 39-just had my birthday last week. I am married & will celebrate my 6th anniversary this fall. My husband's name is Paul Kontz (so if you write back please address it to Ann Kontz--I am in the system as Ann Kontz.)
I have a 9 year old daughter who is the most beautiful little girl in the world. She is naturally joy-filled and she has a compassionate spirit. I have a 24 year old step-daughter about to get married. My daughter lives with my sister (of which I have two.)0
Prior to prison-I enjoyed jogging, water-skiing and traveling. Now my hobbies are walking (because we can't run) reading and Pilates/yoga.
Well-I'll close for now.
I pray you'll decide to write back adn I'll share more in my next letter.
God Bless,
Ann
P.S. The card was awesome. I gather the website on the back was how you made/ordered it? My sister would love that.
Letters from the Inside, Sarah Jo Pender, #3
Dear Kelly,
Thanks for your letter and enclosed articles. I got quite a kick out of them. I was surprised that a newspaper would publish articles with words like "fuck" and "ass." You must remember I am from the Midwest where all of our newspapers are Republican owned and still contain a daily Christian prayer. Of course I know that NY is a blue state and about a decade ahead of Indiana in just about any progressive category besides pig farming and hybrid corn methods.
Thank you for the information about magazine/newspaper submissions. When I get a kickass excerpt written, I want to submit it to a few magazines for publication in order to raise awareness/marketing. It's a fun project and a neat adventure.
I'd be interested in the latest chronicles of your life. You've got the apartment, you're still self-employed, so are you working on the dating portion? Again? Seems likely since you were home on Valentine's Day to see me on television. What on earth makes you interested in America's Most Wanted? You even mention it in an article from 2007. I guess I don't get what allure television has, unless you're stuck indoors and need to check out of reality for a while. But there's no learning value in AMW. It's not like the Food Network or the History Channel where there's some intrinsic value to their programs. And it doesn't provide laughter or joy. So what's in it for you? A way to live vicariously through the stories of others? Does it turn you on? Make you sick? What's so exciting about it?
Your questions:
I'm in lock down for one year from the day I arrived, so my official outdate to go back to open population is 12/20/09. Five days before Christmas. What a present, huh? It's possible if I'm good, a real, real good girl, that they may let me out a month early. But the flipside of it is that even if I'm a perfect angel, they could make one stay in lock longer, just because they can say I'm a threat to the safety and security of the facility. I've never dealth with these administrators before, so I don't know if they are fair-minded or slyly sadistic.
We shall see.
Yes, I have a few friends here, but most of them are at Rockville, the prison I escaped from. This prison is about 1/3 of the size of Rockville and has a different breed of offenders and staff. At Rockville most of the staff and officers are white country bred folks or from Terre Haute nearby. Some are racist, some are ignorant, most are pretty laid back and run a slower pace. It seems the staff here are a bit more highstrung and the racial profile of staff better matches the population, but I have a limited interaction with them. I figure I have an ugly stigma to overcome when I get down, and here, none of the officers know me, so it's like starting all over. At least at Rockville they know my character and what to expect from me. I'm not complaining, I know I did it to myself.
That's a big obstacle I have, both in here and out there. When I watched one of the AMW episodes (I did not care to see myself on tV) it was like watching someone else. They completely manipulated facts and desecreated my character. Especially after I was caught. They edited out the real message I was attempting to send, and sent that nancy faggot Joe Lieberman to talk to me like a total douchebag. "Let's poke sticks at Sarah Pender and see if she'll Jap out." That should've been the trailer of the episode.
Anyway, people see what they want to see through filters. It's goign to take a while of being good and positive before peopel change their mind. What's sad is that when I'm nice and good, they think its an act of manipulation. It never fucking occurs to them that I'm simply a nice person, well mannered, and well behaved that chose to do a few things out of character when put in a desperate situation. They believe I am a piece of crap because they want me to be a piece of crap.
How sad.
Our media has that much power over people.
That scares me more than all the murderers, robbers, thiefs, and prostitutes I'm locked up with.
So I'm making it my problem to deal with. It's natural for me to be good and well behaved, so the next step is publishing a book with both literary and social merit. And I go upwards from there, climbing the mountain of crap, heading for fresher and fresher air. It I can transform how a few people think along the way, then rock on!
Oh. Before I forget, I like your article on the Ball of Lint Theory. Here's a thought: Think of what you did for Mr. Ball of Lint's self-esteem. To land a beautiful and fun girlfriend (even if he never got laid) surely boosted his ego. Maybe you permanently enhanced his self image. Unless he read your article and figure he he was the Ball of Lint. Then you probably crushed his feelings and gave him a complex or social anxiety disorder or something. Oh, you're bad.
Are you dating now? do you still blog about it?
What made you write me? And have you ever written someone you saw on TV or AMW before? For some reason it seems an absurd thing to do, and at the same time, fun and ballsy. I dig it. Live in the moment, damn it. Soak up the excitement of life.
I'm listening to the BBC News and hearing the war crimes trial is starting today for the genocide of 1.7 million people 30 years ago. Wow, I can't imagine being in a country like Cambodia. I actually met a guy named Joe from Cambodia on night in a Chicago bar, and the most meaningful information I gleaned from him was that in Cambodia there was a feeling of peace and free love. Basically he drank and fucked a lot.
You told me to remind you to tell me about a book proposal.
I need to get to bed. It's cold in here, so I'll likely cuddle up to the ancient radiator. It's the best substitute for a warm body I got. :-( My butt is numb. Night night.
--Sarah
Thanks for your letter and enclosed articles. I got quite a kick out of them. I was surprised that a newspaper would publish articles with words like "fuck" and "ass." You must remember I am from the Midwest where all of our newspapers are Republican owned and still contain a daily Christian prayer. Of course I know that NY is a blue state and about a decade ahead of Indiana in just about any progressive category besides pig farming and hybrid corn methods.
Thank you for the information about magazine/newspaper submissions. When I get a kickass excerpt written, I want to submit it to a few magazines for publication in order to raise awareness/marketing. It's a fun project and a neat adventure.
I'd be interested in the latest chronicles of your life. You've got the apartment, you're still self-employed, so are you working on the dating portion? Again? Seems likely since you were home on Valentine's Day to see me on television. What on earth makes you interested in America's Most Wanted? You even mention it in an article from 2007. I guess I don't get what allure television has, unless you're stuck indoors and need to check out of reality for a while. But there's no learning value in AMW. It's not like the Food Network or the History Channel where there's some intrinsic value to their programs. And it doesn't provide laughter or joy. So what's in it for you? A way to live vicariously through the stories of others? Does it turn you on? Make you sick? What's so exciting about it?
Your questions:
I'm in lock down for one year from the day I arrived, so my official outdate to go back to open population is 12/20/09. Five days before Christmas. What a present, huh? It's possible if I'm good, a real, real good girl, that they may let me out a month early. But the flipside of it is that even if I'm a perfect angel, they could make one stay in lock longer, just because they can say I'm a threat to the safety and security of the facility. I've never dealth with these administrators before, so I don't know if they are fair-minded or slyly sadistic.
We shall see.
Yes, I have a few friends here, but most of them are at Rockville, the prison I escaped from. This prison is about 1/3 of the size of Rockville and has a different breed of offenders and staff. At Rockville most of the staff and officers are white country bred folks or from Terre Haute nearby. Some are racist, some are ignorant, most are pretty laid back and run a slower pace. It seems the staff here are a bit more highstrung and the racial profile of staff better matches the population, but I have a limited interaction with them. I figure I have an ugly stigma to overcome when I get down, and here, none of the officers know me, so it's like starting all over. At least at Rockville they know my character and what to expect from me. I'm not complaining, I know I did it to myself.
That's a big obstacle I have, both in here and out there. When I watched one of the AMW episodes (I did not care to see myself on tV) it was like watching someone else. They completely manipulated facts and desecreated my character. Especially after I was caught. They edited out the real message I was attempting to send, and sent that nancy faggot Joe Lieberman to talk to me like a total douchebag. "Let's poke sticks at Sarah Pender and see if she'll Jap out." That should've been the trailer of the episode.
Anyway, people see what they want to see through filters. It's goign to take a while of being good and positive before peopel change their mind. What's sad is that when I'm nice and good, they think its an act of manipulation. It never fucking occurs to them that I'm simply a nice person, well mannered, and well behaved that chose to do a few things out of character when put in a desperate situation. They believe I am a piece of crap because they want me to be a piece of crap.
How sad.
Our media has that much power over people.
That scares me more than all the murderers, robbers, thiefs, and prostitutes I'm locked up with.
So I'm making it my problem to deal with. It's natural for me to be good and well behaved, so the next step is publishing a book with both literary and social merit. And I go upwards from there, climbing the mountain of crap, heading for fresher and fresher air. It I can transform how a few people think along the way, then rock on!
Oh. Before I forget, I like your article on the Ball of Lint Theory. Here's a thought: Think of what you did for Mr. Ball of Lint's self-esteem. To land a beautiful and fun girlfriend (even if he never got laid) surely boosted his ego. Maybe you permanently enhanced his self image. Unless he read your article and figure he he was the Ball of Lint. Then you probably crushed his feelings and gave him a complex or social anxiety disorder or something. Oh, you're bad.
Are you dating now? do you still blog about it?
What made you write me? And have you ever written someone you saw on TV or AMW before? For some reason it seems an absurd thing to do, and at the same time, fun and ballsy. I dig it. Live in the moment, damn it. Soak up the excitement of life.
I'm listening to the BBC News and hearing the war crimes trial is starting today for the genocide of 1.7 million people 30 years ago. Wow, I can't imagine being in a country like Cambodia. I actually met a guy named Joe from Cambodia on night in a Chicago bar, and the most meaningful information I gleaned from him was that in Cambodia there was a feeling of peace and free love. Basically he drank and fucked a lot.
You told me to remind you to tell me about a book proposal.
I need to get to bed. It's cold in here, so I'll likely cuddle up to the ancient radiator. It's the best substitute for a warm body I got. :-( My butt is numb. Night night.
--Sarah
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Letters from the Inside, Michael Swango, #7
Hi KK---
Please excuse my use of pencil* today. My "good pen" has died-but its replacements should arrive tomorrow. Before getting to the latest revelation regarding Ms. Richardson's untimely death, let me comment on your always enjoyable column "OUTSIDE THE BOX":
>Calling All Kellys!: Question: Were you really fired in 'l5 for having a blog? That sounds a bit extreme. Seems as though there should be a federal law or something! You mentioned "co-workers" and an office" - do is it a wild guess that you started your own business after that?
Your take on the Craigslist ads and your responses was outstanding! The only saving grace for the male of the species is that a male Kelly would have received similar inane & "clever" responses from females out there. "Kelly Kelly" - wife of Raymond Kelly--so clever...
"Live Three or Die: I'm betting this column hit home with lots of folks. Who among us (me included) have not used a number or number of actions to try to bring luck or ward off the bad, OR to counteract a perceived negative vibe from whatever.
This column really reflected the "Sex and the City on steroids" attitude that you mentioned when you first mentioned the column. So funny:-)
The paragraph about dates "to the right of you" reminded me of that "Seinfeld" episode where both George & Jerry can't "make a move" unless they are on a certain side of their date.
So-thanks for those. I should tell you that, given the situation, I do a lot of reading but clearly not many Internet columns or blogs, etc. So I really enjoy & appreciate your smart columns filled with attitude & sass & humor.
...
Now to a more serious topic. Earlier today I heard a report that the transcripts of Natasha Richardson's ambulance ride have been leaked or released. They supposedly show that she was disoriented ++ while "en route." It wasn't clear whether this was in the ambulance going from the resort to the local hospital or the ambulance that reportedly took her from that hospital to the medical/trauma center in Montreal. But let's consider both possibilities:
#1: Resort to local hospital: Since there was a lucid interval after her head injury--any paramedic or ER nurse or ER physician would be totally cognizant that an epidural hematoma was a distinct possibility. The lucid interval is virtually pathognomonic of the presence of an epidural hematoma-which is almost always fatal unless treated NOW.
So: If this was known in the first ambulance, and the history of the lucid interval- then the patients needs only two things--an urgent CT scan and/or surgery to evacuate the epidural hematoma (more on that in a minute) -burr holes.
If the local hospital had a CT scanner--then it could have done the scan--and any surgeon (or competent ER doc) could have immediately done burr holes--full patient recovery.
If there was no CT scanner--the local hospital should have been bypassed and she should have been taken immediately to the Montreal trauma center, which is reported to have been 50 miles away.
Again--upon arrival--emergency CT scan and immediate surgery.
#2 If her symptoms were present during the second ambulance ride--actually even better--full trauma center less than an hour away with the patient still conscious but disoriented. CT/Surgery/Recovery.
A few more points:
>From the moment the history of the heady injury & lucid interval was discovered--the entire EMS system should have been focused on ruling in or out an epidural hematoma.
> Once an epidural hematoma is seen--burr holes can be done quickly. They are actually not brain surgery. The CT Scan tells you where the blood clot is--you open the skin, drill the hole (usually three close together) - and there is the clot-lying above the dura that covers the brain (hence the term "epidural"). You suck it out---problem solved--pressure on the brain is relieved.
>Here is the real kicker: You don't need a neurosurgeon to do burr holes. Any general surgeon knows how to do them/Most ER physicians today know how as well.
>And finally you don't even need a CT Scan. If the symptoms are there, and the patient is worsening, you can do burr holes in the most likely spots.
When I was in Africa--with no CT scanner, within almost an entire nation--we did burr holes on many patients after accidents or falls. Saved quite a few. If there is no epidural hematoma-no problem. Burr holes cause no lasting damage--you plug them up and move on.
Like I said before--no one in an industrialized, medically sophisticated first world country should die of an epidural hematoma--assuming they enter the EMS/hospital system in time.
If the first hospital wasted valuable time or if the Montreal hospital did not immediately scan & operate there may be one more thing in play : The fact that she was a celebrity and sometimes hospitals & doctors are afraid of aggressively treating such a patient--especially when they can "turf" the celebrity to a larger hospital or to the U.S. "home hospital."
True Story: March 1981-Reagan is shot in Washington D.C. He is taken to George Washington University Hospital--where is is treated exactly as if he were a crack addict shot during a robbery. His chest wound was much more serious than initially--and he could easily have died had in not received the standard trauma care for his wound.
The bottom line of my mad medical rant is this: There may be valid reasons why Ms. Richardson died--unavoidable reasons--BUT IF NOT, then this is a HUGE story.
Please tell me that someone is in Canada tracking down every detail of exactly what happened-from the moment of her injury to her removal on life support.
And if they aren't, when do you leave? I just assume that you know people on the major newspapers & know if they are working on this.
***
Recently finished re-watching the first season of "LOST." Appreciated the writing & complexity & intricate flashbacks even more the second time around. Remember the scene [early II I think] where Desmond is now walking in the Dharma station with the computer, and he asks his coworker about the previous worker. The coworker points to the stain on the ceiling and says "that's Radzinsky." "He blew his brains out."
Flash Back (and forward!) to the current Season V, which is taking place at the Dharma Initiative in the 1970s. Now we see Radzinsky-a Dharma architect who built several of the stations.
You are totally right on "PRIMER". It is "nerdy and hard to follow," and tedious early on. But...Virtually every film or TV Show ever made about time travel involves saving the world or time jumps of millenia or centuries or killing Hitler, etc. This film is about time travel of 22 hours set in an industrial park & self-storage facility! Really Original--too bad his budget was only $7,000~
I love discussing books & films & plays & music--perhaps even more so when people disagree. Taste and "liking" the arts is such a subjective thing, isn't it?! Especially music and comedy.
Last year during the TV strike, CBS showed the first season of "Dexter". From what was reported, the CBS version was almost identical to the SHOWTIME version. Extremely entertaining; and again, very original. Also, of course, jet black in mood & plot.
Like the other shows we've touched on ("LOST", etc.) --the writing is simply brilliant. The character of Dexter is unique on TV so far as I know.
Definitely a show we could discuss. Let me know what you think. Like most good films or TV-the "lesser" characters are as good as the leads: in "Dexter", his girlfriend is pitch perfect played by (I think) Julia Benz.
Must wrap this up, but one comment on Africa that I think is important and we can of course discuss in much more detail: No one in the United States can possibly appreciate the breadth & devastation of the AIDS pandemic, if they have not seen ground zero in Africa. I worked in four nations there-imagine 30% infection rate-no AIDS drugs-babies routinely born with HIV- and women forced to have unprotected vaginal and anal sex with their infected husbands.
Even the worst days in San Francisco General in the mid and late 1980s pale in comparison.
With my obsession with Ms. Richardson's treatment & outcome temporarily abated by sharing with you--I promise more on Africa (wasn't all gloom & doom) and what I can tell you about my time here & what brought it about.
Write when you can, KK/Send anything else you've written, and anything else you think I might find interesting.
Take care and talk to you soon.
Michael
*My God-Pencil plus snail mail. Doesn't that equal the Nineteenth Century?
Please excuse my use of pencil* today. My "good pen" has died-but its replacements should arrive tomorrow. Before getting to the latest revelation regarding Ms. Richardson's untimely death, let me comment on your always enjoyable column "OUTSIDE THE BOX":
>Calling All Kellys!: Question: Were you really fired in 'l5 for having a blog? That sounds a bit extreme. Seems as though there should be a federal law or something! You mentioned "co-workers" and an office" - do is it a wild guess that you started your own business after that?
Your take on the Craigslist ads and your responses was outstanding! The only saving grace for the male of the species is that a male Kelly would have received similar inane & "clever" responses from females out there. "Kelly Kelly" - wife of Raymond Kelly--so clever...
"Live Three or Die: I'm betting this column hit home with lots of folks. Who among us (me included) have not used a number or number of actions to try to bring luck or ward off the bad, OR to counteract a perceived negative vibe from whatever.
This column really reflected the "Sex and the City on steroids" attitude that you mentioned when you first mentioned the column. So funny:-)
The paragraph about dates "to the right of you" reminded me of that "Seinfeld" episode where both George & Jerry can't "make a move" unless they are on a certain side of their date.
So-thanks for those. I should tell you that, given the situation, I do a lot of reading but clearly not many Internet columns or blogs, etc. So I really enjoy & appreciate your smart columns filled with attitude & sass & humor.
...
Now to a more serious topic. Earlier today I heard a report that the transcripts of Natasha Richardson's ambulance ride have been leaked or released. They supposedly show that she was disoriented ++ while "en route." It wasn't clear whether this was in the ambulance going from the resort to the local hospital or the ambulance that reportedly took her from that hospital to the medical/trauma center in Montreal. But let's consider both possibilities:
#1: Resort to local hospital: Since there was a lucid interval after her head injury--any paramedic or ER nurse or ER physician would be totally cognizant that an epidural hematoma was a distinct possibility. The lucid interval is virtually pathognomonic of the presence of an epidural hematoma-which is almost always fatal unless treated NOW.
So: If this was known in the first ambulance, and the history of the lucid interval- then the patients needs only two things--an urgent CT scan and/or surgery to evacuate the epidural hematoma (more on that in a minute) -burr holes.
If the local hospital had a CT scanner--then it could have done the scan--and any surgeon (or competent ER doc) could have immediately done burr holes--full patient recovery.
If there was no CT scanner--the local hospital should have been bypassed and she should have been taken immediately to the Montreal trauma center, which is reported to have been 50 miles away.
Again--upon arrival--emergency CT scan and immediate surgery.
#2 If her symptoms were present during the second ambulance ride--actually even better--full trauma center less than an hour away with the patient still conscious but disoriented. CT/Surgery/Recovery.
A few more points:
>From the moment the history of the heady injury & lucid interval was discovered--the entire EMS system should have been focused on ruling in or out an epidural hematoma.
> Once an epidural hematoma is seen--burr holes can be done quickly. They are actually not brain surgery. The CT Scan tells you where the blood clot is--you open the skin, drill the hole (usually three close together) - and there is the clot-lying above the dura that covers the brain (hence the term "epidural"). You suck it out---problem solved--pressure on the brain is relieved.
>Here is the real kicker: You don't need a neurosurgeon to do burr holes. Any general surgeon knows how to do them/Most ER physicians today know how as well.
>And finally you don't even need a CT Scan. If the symptoms are there, and the patient is worsening, you can do burr holes in the most likely spots.
When I was in Africa--with no CT scanner, within almost an entire nation--we did burr holes on many patients after accidents or falls. Saved quite a few. If there is no epidural hematoma-no problem. Burr holes cause no lasting damage--you plug them up and move on.
Like I said before--no one in an industrialized, medically sophisticated first world country should die of an epidural hematoma--assuming they enter the EMS/hospital system in time.
If the first hospital wasted valuable time or if the Montreal hospital did not immediately scan & operate there may be one more thing in play : The fact that she was a celebrity and sometimes hospitals & doctors are afraid of aggressively treating such a patient--especially when they can "turf" the celebrity to a larger hospital or to the U.S. "home hospital."
True Story: March 1981-Reagan is shot in Washington D.C. He is taken to George Washington University Hospital--where is is treated exactly as if he were a crack addict shot during a robbery. His chest wound was much more serious than initially--and he could easily have died had in not received the standard trauma care for his wound.
The bottom line of my mad medical rant is this: There may be valid reasons why Ms. Richardson died--unavoidable reasons--BUT IF NOT, then this is a HUGE story.
Please tell me that someone is in Canada tracking down every detail of exactly what happened-from the moment of her injury to her removal on life support.
And if they aren't, when do you leave? I just assume that you know people on the major newspapers & know if they are working on this.
***
Recently finished re-watching the first season of "LOST." Appreciated the writing & complexity & intricate flashbacks even more the second time around. Remember the scene [early II I think] where Desmond is now walking in the Dharma station with the computer, and he asks his coworker about the previous worker. The coworker points to the stain on the ceiling and says "that's Radzinsky." "He blew his brains out."
Flash Back (and forward!) to the current Season V, which is taking place at the Dharma Initiative in the 1970s. Now we see Radzinsky-a Dharma architect who built several of the stations.
You are totally right on "PRIMER". It is "nerdy and hard to follow," and tedious early on. But...Virtually every film or TV Show ever made about time travel involves saving the world or time jumps of millenia or centuries or killing Hitler, etc. This film is about time travel of 22 hours set in an industrial park & self-storage facility! Really Original--too bad his budget was only $7,000~
I love discussing books & films & plays & music--perhaps even more so when people disagree. Taste and "liking" the arts is such a subjective thing, isn't it?! Especially music and comedy.
Last year during the TV strike, CBS showed the first season of "Dexter". From what was reported, the CBS version was almost identical to the SHOWTIME version. Extremely entertaining; and again, very original. Also, of course, jet black in mood & plot.
Like the other shows we've touched on ("LOST", etc.) --the writing is simply brilliant. The character of Dexter is unique on TV so far as I know.
Definitely a show we could discuss. Let me know what you think. Like most good films or TV-the "lesser" characters are as good as the leads: in "Dexter", his girlfriend is pitch perfect played by (I think) Julia Benz.
Must wrap this up, but one comment on Africa that I think is important and we can of course discuss in much more detail: No one in the United States can possibly appreciate the breadth & devastation of the AIDS pandemic, if they have not seen ground zero in Africa. I worked in four nations there-imagine 30% infection rate-no AIDS drugs-babies routinely born with HIV- and women forced to have unprotected vaginal and anal sex with their infected husbands.
Even the worst days in San Francisco General in the mid and late 1980s pale in comparison.
With my obsession with Ms. Richardson's treatment & outcome temporarily abated by sharing with you--I promise more on Africa (wasn't all gloom & doom) and what I can tell you about my time here & what brought it about.
Write when you can, KK/Send anything else you've written, and anything else you think I might find interesting.
Take care and talk to you soon.
Michael
*My God-Pencil plus snail mail. Doesn't that equal the Nineteenth Century?
Friday, April 3, 2009
Letters from the Inside, Michael Swango, #6
Hi KK---
Where to begin? First-Received your letter earlier today [they always seem to arrive on a Thursday.], so once again let me write a relatively brief missive today so it goes out before the weekend---and then a second letter Sat/Sun when I have more time. However, with our largest snowstorm of the season moving in today, both
letters may not go out until Sunday night. We already have about 5" on the ground-but it's supposed to last until mid-morning tomorrow, so I'm sure we'll have a foot plus total. Two feet expected in the aptly named Wet Mountains to our southwest. And of course, like LaGuardia & Newark & JFK-Denver's DIA will be shut down until further notice.
Not surprising. March is actually the snowiest month in Colorado.
Now that I have unfortunately put you to sleep with the snail mail version of the Weather Channel :-)... let me wake you up with my strong suggestion for you or one of your journalistic colleagues to go to Canada, do the legwork & research, and lay bare the absolutely avoidable tragic death of Natasha Richardson.
I will expand significantly on this over the weekend, but the bottom line is this: In an industrialized first world country, with the best medical care & equipment & doctors in the world [U.S./Canada/UK/France/W. Europe/etc.]--NO ONE should die of an epidural hematoma. Some one or some place really messed up badly in Quebec--and Ms. Richardson is dead because of it.
If no one is actively working on this-someone needs to be
I'm glad I'm not the only one who forgets what they've written or sent! However, it occurs to me that you may have only answered my first letter and not the second yet. I actually like having several letters going back & forth -- keeps things interesting!
You did send The Ball of Lint trade-up-column. Brilliantly done (it reminded me of the coyote ugly analogy.)
And you had also send me "Calling All Kellys!" Perfect for someone with one of those interesting first/last names.
Comments on that and "Live Three or Die" to follow.
Sorry your letter was cut short by your migraine. Just one glass of wine?! By the way, I love words & language (as I know you do, obviously)--thanks for letting me see "dastardly" used for the first time in a while!
Must get this in the mail now. Take care and talk to you soon. Longer letter to follow. Write when you can.
Where to begin? First-Received your letter earlier today [they always seem to arrive on a Thursday.], so once again let me write a relatively brief missive today so it goes out before the weekend---and then a second letter Sat/Sun when I have more time. However, with our largest snowstorm of the season moving in today, both
letters may not go out until Sunday night. We already have about 5" on the ground-but it's supposed to last until mid-morning tomorrow, so I'm sure we'll have a foot plus total. Two feet expected in the aptly named Wet Mountains to our southwest. And of course, like LaGuardia & Newark & JFK-Denver's DIA will be shut down until further notice.
Not surprising. March is actually the snowiest month in Colorado.
Now that I have unfortunately put you to sleep with the snail mail version of the Weather Channel :-)... let me wake you up with my strong suggestion for you or one of your journalistic colleagues to go to Canada, do the legwork & research, and lay bare the absolutely avoidable tragic death of Natasha Richardson.
I will expand significantly on this over the weekend, but the bottom line is this: In an industrialized first world country, with the best medical care & equipment & doctors in the world [U.S./Canada/UK/France/W. Europe/etc.]--NO ONE should die of an epidural hematoma. Some one or some place really messed up badly in Quebec--and Ms. Richardson is dead because of it.
If no one is actively working on this-someone needs to be
I'm glad I'm not the only one who forgets what they've written or sent! However, it occurs to me that you may have only answered my first letter and not the second yet. I actually like having several letters going back & forth -- keeps things interesting!
You did send The Ball of Lint trade-up-column. Brilliantly done (it reminded me of the coyote ugly analogy.)
And you had also send me "Calling All Kellys!" Perfect for someone with one of those interesting first/last names.
Comments on that and "Live Three or Die" to follow.
Sorry your letter was cut short by your migraine. Just one glass of wine?! By the way, I love words & language (as I know you do, obviously)--thanks for letting me see "dastardly" used for the first time in a while!
Must get this in the mail now. Take care and talk to you soon. Longer letter to follow. Write when you can.
