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Steinbeck’s Letter

Back in 1958, John Steinbeck, author of East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath, and Of Mice and Men, got a letter from his teenage son Thom, in which Thom confessed that he had fallen desperately in love with a girl named Susan at his boarding school.

Steinbeck wrote this wise and wonderful letter back to him the same day…

New York
November 10, 1958
Dear Thom:

We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.

First — if you are in love — that’s a good thing — that’s about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don’t let anyone make it small or light to you.

Second — There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you — of kindness and consideration and respect — not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn’t know you had.

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply — of course it isn’t puppy love.

But I don’t think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it — and that I can tell you.

Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.

The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.

If you love someone — there is no possible harm in saying so — only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.

Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.

It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another — but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.

Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I’m glad you have it.

We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.

And don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens — The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

Love,

Fa

(Source: leloveimage.blogspot.com)

newsweek: Our first major: speech communication. What’s yours? [via] WORD.

newsweek:

Our first major: speech communication. What’s yours? [via]


WORD.

Friends of a friend just moved into a new place on Perry Street. I found myself sitting on the open window sill and peering into the courtyard below where a wedding reception was winding down. It was quite the back drop.

Friends of a friend just moved into a new place on Perry Street. I found myself sitting on the open window sill and peering into the courtyard below where a wedding reception was winding down. It was quite the back drop.

Tyler continues to top himself and only becomes better and better. I’m so glad I found his work years ago. Check him out, y’all. tylerknott: So with my new typewriter I have been experimenting with just putting a piece of paper in and writing a poem as fast as I can.  The nature of the medium is that I cannot correct anything, go back and change lines or alter what my original thought was, mistakes and all.  I love it.  Here is my first.

Tyler continues to top himself and only becomes better and better. I’m so glad I found his work years ago. Check him out, y’all.

tylerknott:

So with my new typewriter I have been experimenting with just putting a piece of paper in and writing a poem as fast as I can.  The nature of the medium is that I cannot correct anything, go back and change lines or alter what my original thought was, mistakes and all.  I love it.  Here is my first.

she took the leap and built her wings on the way down

We’re going to win
Put your troubles behind you
And go on to bed
Let go of the worry
There’s so much nobody understands
Don’t live your life in such a hurry
Life goes by us all so fast
And the sun will come up again
And I will be here
If you get scared just hold my hand
Tomorrow is yours and who knows
Maybe we’ll win the whole shabang
Goodnight Rose, goodnight, goodnight Rose

-Ryan Adams; Goodnight Rose