Letter to a Friend

Dear Deirdre,

Please keep up with your art. The sensitive MUST use their PAIN or it eats us ALIVE. Don't let money worry decide your choices. Let ART decide!! Read any biography of a writer and you see this to be true. Roald Dahl, Pat Conroy, etc.

I send Paula poems that remind me of her writing but I fear she has tucked that chapter away. She wants to be NORMAL. I have too many talented WOMEN artist friends who want to be normal. What a shame. I never had that desire or chance or interest. Which now I see is a BLESSING. Bill tells me its about tribal belonging. I never had that. But I love the company of sincere working artists and ordinary people especially the mentally ill and poor--which my town is full of. I am not joking. I loathe Westchester County NY and all affluent communities get on my nerves after a few minutes. Like my hero poet Charles Simic says he'd rather be in Harlem than Westchester County and I felt that way as a child.

I kick myself for not giving you two loaves! You must return soon.
Love you both.

My mantra (ART or DIE) and cooking, writing, filming, dancing, all of it counts. You don't have to be Mozart, Einstein, Julia Child, you just have to SUBMIT to the FLOW a little bit each day. And lo and behold it adds up to a LIFE!! (I could go on for years on this topic).

Share this with Micheal. I hope we can get a photo of Bill and Micheal. I want to hear more stories about your mom.

Sorry to lecture. Love you madly.
Emily