Continued, The Correspondent
Ms. Van Antwerp
Dear Ms. Van Antwerp,
Thank you for the book you sent. I had not read John McGahern, and in fact I have not read much Irish literature aside from the standards (Joyce, Yeats, Beckett).
After reading Amongst Women, I went and read That They May Face the Rising Sun, which I liked very much, and then I felt the desire to remain in Ireland, so I picked up The Stories of William Trevor and I’m going slowly, reading one story per week so it lasts.
You asked about my summer holiday. Most of June was crap, spent planning for the semester and putting out fires.
My mother-in-law passed away and our most recent round of IVF failed, but my husband and I did travel a bit after the memorial in early July.
We went to Lisbon, where we stayed for two luxurious weeks, then we went to Croatia and Greece.
I live to travel. I wrote a great deal of poetry, which was wonderful, reacquainting me with myself. Do you enjoy travel?
And yes, I will go into the year as you said: boldly, unapologetically, head up and not taking bullshit from anyone with a penis. You seem a worthy person to offer such advice.
Fondly,
Melissa Genet
University of Maryland, College Park
College Park, MD