Viewing page 7 of 21

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Box 51, Mendocino
CA 95460
May 24, 1970

Dear Ref and Lila,
I'll send Brigit and Mark a print soon. How wonderful to be starting out in a world which promises to accomplish fundamental changes for human happiness. The community of youth today has enough power to make something happen, where our own youth slogged along with very little effect because of the uninvolvemnt of the mass of young people. I don't blame this on us. It was simply a different historical time.

I have just leased a vacantstore in San Francisco, which is a major step in the right direction for me. The country has a devitalizing effect on me. Too may stupid redwood trees which clog one's brain I think. The city gives me new life, turns me on. I've been doing carpentry and hard labor to get my Mendocino studio ready to rent so I can have enough income to work freely. After all, Cezanne was a rentier - why not me? It's the only way for an artist to survive in this country especially if he works contrary to the trend.

Another artist up here will run my big studio as a gallery, so I'll have an outlet for prints which sell very well up here.

Byron is selling the big house here (we have legally separated our property) and has bought another on on Tomales Bay in Marin County. He has a new love and appears very happy. He's been attending the Mill Valley psychiatric clinic regularly, and apparently has his drinking under control. He is much more gregarious that I am, and is able to spend all his time with people down there where his old friends live. I need empty, free time in which to think or I can't produce much.

Jon is still in Stockholm studying music, The biggest producer in Sweden wants to do an album of his compositions in London. Apparently Gail and Byron disapprove of this popular side-line, since he told me not to tell them. But if that's his primary interest that's the way he'll go whether anyone approves or not, so why fight it? Jon will do many interesting things before he departs this world. He has brains, talent and chutzpah, the latter being possibly the most important quality to get one's music recognized.

Love
Emmy Lou