You didn't? That's funny. I thought you did. I know he was always kind of angry about what he perceived to be your criticism. But he appreciated it in his own way. He causes such visceral reactions. At least that's what the Times review said!

Oh you should totally read it. I'll email it to you, or ask Bette to do it.

Sweetie, can you email—

I'm sorry. I can't believe I am saying this but how do you spell your name? I've just gotten so clogged with names lately. Right—

—can you email Ty's Times review to . . .

What's your email address again? Is it still your old band? It's different! Wow, welcome to the millennium! Ha ha. What is it? [email protected]—well, that's cheery! Well I'm glad you changed it. I mean after you were sort of Patient Zero with the Doctor Faust virus. I'm glad you cleared that up. It's weird how that virus metaphor kind of translates and people quarantined you like you were actually sick . . . that was so stupid. I tried to stay out of that. Language is so funny that way.

And here is his masterwork that the Times highlighted, called "College"—it's sort of hard to make out the graffiti if you aren't accustomed to it. It reads: "I diss doz in da past lookd down on my stuff."

So what are you up to? Oh? Really? Writing fiction? Ugh, I do not envy you! Fiction writing is a hard nut to crack. No no no, I TOTALLY think you should go ahead and write fiction! Look at the idiotic people getting in the New Yorker these days. It's an open field.

So are you filling out grants and stuff? (Huh, remember when you didn't fill out your Green Form? Was that you? That was beyond.) Mackakoon—it's the renowned artists' colony, right? Wow, best of luck—good luck with that. Not to crush your hopes, but—well, you know how difficult it is to get in there, right? It's sort of more for Emerging Artists and Writers—like on Tyler's level. But maybe if you try hard enough you can at least be in their Creative Helpers Food-Service program. It's the internship my nephew did. But don't get all depressed and mopey like you do if you get rejected. I think you get too discouraged too easily. You should keep trying! Art is so hard!

Oh, by the by, I got a Fuller Grant! Yeah! I'm going to Japan and Kazakhstan to study their rare magic rituals and create a Polaroid diary of the experience. It's weird I like wrote the grant on a total whim. Just one of those things. Do you know anything about folk rituals? They're so fascinating. Oh that's right it was your major.