Conversation with Elizabeth
1998
Out of it

From:          Elizabeth
To:            Larry.m.mixson@bvs.com
Date:          3/5/98 2:41pm
Subject:       out of it
 
I know absolutely nothing about contemporary popular music, hard rock or otherwise. Often when people start discussing music, I can't contribute. Of course, from my perspective they are probably totally unaware that the Metropolitan Opera will be doing Madame Butterfly this Saturday. I plan to listen (which will take the entire afternoon, but I will be studying Contracts as well. That is a funny story about getting an album by a group with that name. I have a music story from Gainesville in the early 70's. I used to leave my radio on all night. One night I woke up to hear the most wonderful song playing. I listened until I heard the name of the singer and it was Elton John. I went all over town trying to find the "album" but nobody had heard of him. I may have the dates wrong, but that actually happened. I think the song was "Your Song"--I may have that wrong. I now/still have the album I believe, when I finally got it.
 
I realize you don't know much about my life in Gainesville before I met you. I realized last night that before I met you several of my closest friends were from the Chemistry Dept. In fact, one of the men lived in a big house which about 5-6-7 of us rented in the early 70's. Also, there was a post-doc student in the Chemistry Dept. who I spent a lot of time with. She was one of the brightest women I have ever known. She had built her own stereo. Once at her apt. listened to a Beatles song on her stereo and it was as if I had never really heard the song, the quality was so good. I wondered last night if your Dad might recall those people.[1] Luke, who was in love with the woman I just told you about, worked in the Chem. Dept. for years. He had long hair down to his shoulders and I think looked somewhat like Yanni. When Linda accepted a faculty position in Ann Arbor, for whatever reason he didn't go. (God this is bringing back memories--I just recalled another friend of mine from the Chem. Dept. He was the one I wrote you who had the sea aquariums--I think his name was Italian like Terelli or something.) Anyway, Luke cried and cried, and I remember holding him all one night as he cried for Linda. Luke, Linda, and I, and some others went to Atlanta for the Atlanta Pop Festival which was the South's version of Woodstock. Richie Havens (I believe) sang "Here Comes the Sun" at sunrise, which I will never forget. Also, I forget who did that 70'ish version of the Star Spangled Banner which was so good, but I distinctly remember that as well.[2]
 
I hardly ever move my dial from NPR. Ironically I don't listen to our Montgomery station as it is poorer than the one I can get out of Tuscaloosa, when they extended their signal range. The local NPR does a lot of what I call local yokel stuff. The only thing about all this, listening to NPR, and reading the NYT, I don't feel as if I am really living where I live.
 
I was very sad when Leonard Bernstein died not too many years back. I idolized him when younger and used to cut pictures of him out for my dorm room, as did my roommate as she liked classical music too. After he died, I found out he was gay/bisexual/omnisexual although he was married to one woman for many, many years. I recently read Gore Vidal's memoirs called Palimpsest in which he talks about procuring young men for Bernstein when Lennie would be in town to do concerts. At times that's hard to fit together with the very popular "Young Peoples Concerts." When I get some spare money (which will not be until after April 15 I may spring for the video set which is around 150.00 I think.
 
That is a bizarre story about the man dying "On the Way Home to Kansas." Do it. Write it. That's what my counselor says/said who constantly says/said to me "Write. Write. Write. Do you read my lips. Write.
Write. Write."
 
I thought of you/your family coming home from law school last night, very very late as we were kept to the very last minute. The class was Domestic Relations. What I was thinking, if I had a daughter who was dating and may marry someone who, in my greater wisdom and perspective, might sincerely seem inappropriate, I would try to get some protections built in for her, if she married, especially if she was a professional with high earning capacity, and if the man with whom she was involved didn't seem as potentially successful. While there are extreme cautions given to us as students to ever talk about the law to anyone--and I'm not--I'm just musing--I would worry about her getting strapped with alimony, given the gender unbiased laws as they exist. Unless there was a prenuptial agreement that she would not provide support in the event of divorce, she/my daughter could end up supporting someone for life--just as men used to end up supporting women for life after divorce. The statistics as to marriages surviving are improving, but they are still rather bleak.
 
New Age I mostly like only one morning or so a week when I can sleep late and sort of "reverie" in and out of dosing as the music plays. I've heard it called Teflon music. However, I like Yanni. I like Enya. I also like the chant music and have several albums. I would like to study chant so I know more what I'm listening to. My music tastes are quite eclectic. For example, I bought one of Johnny Cash's last albums and I think it is excellent.
 
Oh well. Art. Music. Food. Religion. We haven't talked about politics. Are our conversations a random walk, or is there a direction?
 
I bet you've already gone home, lucky you. I have two more hours.

[1] I am sure Dad knew all the post-grad students at the Chemistry department. They all would have come to Dad many times for chemical and glassware supplies.

[2] Jimi Hendrix played the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock August 1969.

Australia