LETTERS FROM A LOVER,
19 August 1969 Hotel St. Michael, 205 W Gurley St,Prescott, AZ 86301
Kate. The first words you ever spoke to me were, “Hey,beautiful. Do you want to
dance?” Those words defined the rest of our relationship,because yes, I did want to dance that
night, and after that, I always wanted to dance withyou no matter when or where.
I moved in with you in June. Sometimes the mid-morningsun would seep through the
blinds and bake bars of light onto the wood floor.When this happened I would lay beside Mr.
Whiskers, pet his gray fur and let the sun warm myback. Do you remember the time I fell asleep
like that? You nudged me in the side with your bigtoe to wake me up. I think that was Sunday
morning because Sunday mornings are like that, lazyand slow. You didn’t have to work Sunday
nights and I wouldn’t have work until the next morning.I hope we can have more of those.
I’m with my mother now in Arizona. We’ve been hikingin Sedona, where the hills are
muddy red and all the plant life is prickly. At thetop of each peak, she turns her face to the sky
and closes her eyes. I think she’s imagining sproutingwings and flying. After six years in prison,
she deserves to. Maybe she’s just grateful to be alive.I think she wants to head to San Diego
after this, so look out for that postcard.
25 August, 1969 Coronado Motor Hotel, 233 S 4th Ave,Yuma, AZ 85364
Kate. I miss our adventures. I think my favoritewas the time we took the train into
Greenwich village to see the Stonewall Inn. We neverhad cause to go there before because Syd’s
(or as you call it the best lesbian bar in New York)is a few blocks away from home. “Of course
it’s the best lesbian bar around.Iwork there,” you’dsay. And you do make a mean margarita.
But the week before, the riots happened. When we gotthere, there was still glass on the sidewalk