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Transcript of an interview with James Brooks about his forthcoming retrospective exhibition at Finch College in the spring of 1975. Present were Elayne Varian, James Brooks and Janet Katz.

EV I wanted to ask you about when you moved to Springs. When did you buy your house? Did you first live there summers?

JB We lived there for the summers starting in 1949, we rented a house on the ocean side then we found this house on the bay side right right across the island, we bought it rather cheaply, it was quite a bargain. It was a fisherman's house, a small cottage about 20 x 40 but it had eight or nine rooms so you can imagine how large they were, but it was right on the shore on a bluff looking down on Long Island Sound. Down the hill, which we got at the same time was a good size barn with two areas to it which we could make into a studio. Also a guest house. They were right down on the beach. The house was furnished, not so well but we bought the whole thing for $700. But they had been abandoned and they were different times then though it's not so long ago..it sounds like back in the 1800's. Doesn't it? We Rented the land for $50.00 per year. We couldn't buy the land, but we had all the land we needed...we could see one neighbor, 150 yards off, but that was all.there was......completely our beach for miles and miles...across right to New London we could see. It was quite beautiful, very isolated.

EV Why did you give it up? That house.

JB The hurricane came along and kept uh..Carol I believe itwas in 54 and took down our studio and destroyed our work and everything and so we were ready then I think for a a little more...a closer contact with our friends. We had no phone there, no electricity and none of the conveniences you know and so we had had that life [[strikethrough]] and [[/strikethrough]] which was wonderful. We were discouraged also by the erosion of our land which was oing [[going]] very fast. And so we went into East Hampton and started looking for land finally got a piece in the woods in Springs.

EV: When was that?

JB I don't know,..55 or 6 I guess.

EV How long did you stay there in the summer before you began wintering there too?

JB I don't remember exactly. We had I think for a good many years because we were teaching then both of us. Then it would happen that I wouldn't be teaching and or Charlotte wouldn't then we'd stay the winter and gradually it worked out. And then we did stay out there a winter or two when I was teaching at Queens and we could drive in and Charlotte one of those years was teaching at the Modern Museum and so she drove in and got a class the same day I had it and we did that but that was a bit of a hassle. Then later on when I was going to Univ. of Pennsylvania, one day a week, we moved into town into our place which we had gotten from some friends on 53rd and Lexington. And so we've been on and off in that place, now we share it with neices and nephews.

EV: Yes, you're so generous with it, your studio in New York.

JB: Yes. They pay for it part of it when they're there. It's good for us too. We have a place to go.

EV: Yes, you have a place in New York anytime you want to [[strikethrough]] go [[/strikethrough]] come.

JB
JB I'm not using it as a studio now, though I did. We decided just to use it as a place to stay when I come in.for a few days.

EV So you say it is five or six years that you have been living out in Easthampton. More or less.

JB In Easthampton itslef. A[[strikethrough]] ggo [[/strikethrough]] good many more. A good many more. I'd say...do you mean all the time?

EV I mean living there..that's your basic home and then you come in here occasionally.