Patrick and Stephanie

| Misc Writings

Nobody said everything, or anything, for that matter, but we all tried. Fred, Zen, Robert, Milo, Barbara, Tony, Ruthven, Barry, Eivin, Alastair. Certain encounters change the course of one’s life. You might not recognize that until much later, but eventually, upon reflection, it becomes obvious. Such was that moment in the faculty room of the […]

About a Drawing

| Recordings

Conversation about a drawing, and Norman.

What Frederic Said at the Acropolis

| Poetry

That building seems to soar. Athenian menWould watch the mountain mornings as if the godsThat Phidias friezed there might command the panOf hammered dawn to scoop them into cloudsAnd set them with the temple on the peak Olympus. Each day Athena dreamedAgainst her arm and seemed about to breakA sigh beside the spear on which […]

I Sail for Naples

Here’s a letter from Fred to Patrick, probably 1963. Perhaps the date could be made more exact if we knew when Ann B was born since she is referenced here. The letter includes a poetry critique, some personal observations, and mentions several friends including Bob and Edmund. Completely unrelated. I just transcribed the recording about […]

A Bit of Fred’s Story

| Letters, Misc Writings

I found this a while ago and posted the letter that was attached to this story, but failed to share the story itself, an error remedied here. By the way the letter concluded with: When you’re sitting down, with coffee & cigarette, anything seems possible. 1 From his mother’s house in Salisbury, Fred called his […]

Enough Waxing, Now for Some Slow Waning

| E-mail to Family, First Timer Visitors

E-mail from Patrick on 18 June 2012. I’m taking a charter flight to Pisa and a train to Florence tomorrow, back on 24 june, the day of Jan Juan. I will have my mobile phone. Mostly I’m moved to make the trip because a neighbor just died and his son had a wake, then another […]

First Night in Billy’s Band

| Misc Writings

Another autobiographical story from the files. This one is fairly lengthy–the ODT document was four pages long, tightly packed. It ends abruptly but perhaps that was Patrick’s intention. The last edit date was 17 April 2012. When Fred heard the bad news about the Zambak, he wrote from Rome: “Well, if we can’t trace the […]

When You’re Sitting Down, with Coffee & Cigarette, Anything Seems Possible

| Letters, Musings

Here’s a letter from Fred to Patrick in which he remembers some of their earlier adventures together. I found it in a Word document dated 1 Dec ‘5, but I don’t know when it was actually written. My guess is that it’s from the early 2000’s, after they had established an e-mail connection, since I […]

Obituary for Fred Young

Fred Young and Patrick were fast friends, deep friends, unending friends, for many years. Many of his letters, and those to him from Patrick, reflected their mutual zest for life, appreciation of the arts, and passion. Patrick had saved this obituary in his files, important enough to keep after downsizing most other things. I present […]

standing silently together each day at sunset

(e-mail from Fred on 12 Aug 2001, part of a large collection Patrick sent to me in Aug 2015) Subject: greetings Dear Stephanie & Pat, Full of music, good food (no small admission from one who lives in Firenze), dance, incredible landscapes, some new friends, & best of all, affection. I have printed them out […]

Greetings . . .

e-mail letter from Fred to Patrick and Stephanie on 14 Feb ‘1, which Patrick sent to me on 8 Sep ’15 as part of a large collection. Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 Subject: Greetings . . . to you’all, dere Stephanie & Pat, i miei valentini, Yep, I finished a whole novel. Loved AN EQUAL […]

But …

e-mail letter from Fred to Patrick and Stephanie on 31 Jan ‘1, which Patrick sent to me on 8 Sep ’15 as part of a large collection. Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 19:08:46 -0500 Subject: But . . . Merwin DID say, ‘If I wasn’t human I wouldn’t be ashamed of anything’ & Oooo how […]

Yep, did get yours