Today would have been Lee’s 78th birthday. Let’s celebrate with another entertaining batch of her correspondence, this time involving baseball, another mention of her movie deal, and some fun at the expense of (now recently dead) gossip columnist Liz Smith. We pick up with an update on the doctoral dissertation for which I’d recommended Lee as an editor….
6/3/12, 4:23 pm
editing
The doctoral girl just finished looking at the finished work I did for her, and she is delighted. We got off to a bad start, but the ending is good. And the money is great. Thanks again, Jack. Lee
7:06 pm
[After I mentioned that day’s Yankees game:]
Yesterday’s game was very good. It isn’t so much rooting for me as it is watching good baseball. It’s an interesting vantage place. ..I made 1,700 on the dissertation. So I’ll buy you your drinks. …. Hope to see you soon. Lee/
6/13/12, 8:21 am
Lost in time
Jack Heard on my bed radio this morning that ARod hit a grand slam last night in a very exciting game. So I leapt out of bed thinking I could watch that game on the YES rebroadcasts. And I was so proud of myself for thinking creatively. Each up would be a clean slate; I didn’t know in what inning the grand slam had occurred. Drank my coffee happily, though I did puzzle over the YANKEE CLASSICS icon on the top right of my screen. It was only when Daryl Strawberry came up that I began to suspect.. No matter, instead I am now watching the end of the 1996 World Series, Yankees vs. Braves. Who won? ..
When are we scheduled to drink again? Lee
8:27 am
tied at 6
Seriously, how do you know what year it is.? Their outfits never change, and there are usually no cars parked on the field, unless they are giving one away to a player who’s making ten million after taxes.. 1996 bases are loaded ..Bottom of the 9th…tied at 6.
6/19/12, 10:24 pm
writing
Jack I’ll send you some of the dissertation tomorrow. See what you missed, or didn’t.
Also, thought about what you said about mathematicians and good writing. You may be right. But consider that the editor of one of my stylebooks asserts that an equation is a sentence. You’ll see what I mean when you look at the dissertation that is bereft of anything that passes for style or profundity. as ever lee
6/20/12, 9:11 am
[Having attached two chapters of the doctoral dissertation:]
Fw: Re: editing freelance – Jack Silbert recommends
I meant to say that the paper was 179 pages or so. These chapters passed through you already, but I doubt you read them You’ll see what I mean by vapidity ..not a good word in the batch. Of course, no humor. Lee
10:57 am
I did what I could. Of course, I couldn’t’ change content. but I varied all those lame sentence openers, mostly “consequently,” and “therefore,,” corrected some word mistakes, such as compare with and compare to; I dealt with her constant use of e.g., i.e. (not even used correctly). Primarily, I tried to give it some rhythm and variety.. It is still dull but not idiotic. (What did George Sanders say to Marilyn Monroe in All About Eve: something like, though much better, “You have a point in what you said, my dear; an idiotic point, but nonetheless a point.” Lee
6/21/12, 12:48 pm
several
Jack Can you help me? I’ve lost my toolbar. The way to restore necessitates having the “view” visible, but that too is cut off at the top of my screen. And, too, m I have your telephone numbeer? Mine is 212-XXX-XXXX. I’m on the way out for a haircut. Lee
2:02 pm
[Regarding the toolbar, and our drinks in honor of friend Jim’s birthday two nights earlier:]
I kind of figured out…Hope your cold has withdrawn. Jim sent me a sweet note. Lee
3:55 pm
[After I said I’d also received a note from Jim, and that I was still coughing things up:]
I think he probably just changed the pronouns….Age fifty is a big deal, although all those benchmarks are pretty silly….My producer Anne Carey wrote a note to me about the film’s progress.Only the second time she ever wrote to me. She is young, but a hardened, talented pro and she only writes when things look real…On your cold? Don’t spit up what you can’t spell. ..I must tell you this. Another bill collector telephoned today. They call all the time…Try to trick you. Right off, she said, “Lee?” “No. I’ll take a message.” …”Are you related to Lee Israel?” (They’re not supposed to say that)
“‘I’m her wife.”
6/26/12, 7:52 pm
two subjects
Jack, she passed -the PhD candidate–and sent me this note saying so…. as if I did it..She sent a copy of the paper. …..Guy in the liquor store told me tonight that someone came in asking about me, with a picture…Now if this were a problem –like tax people or whatever –I’m in the phone book He said he told them nothing. but that’s worse. If someone was trying to find out how much money I spend on booze …we’re talking sixty dollars a month. Certain questions I should have asked, but I was in a hurry to get home with my Scotch.
6/28/12, 7:34 pm
[Regarding her creation Dr. Pinky from two months earlier:]
you rejected my alter ego, pinky
I don’t think you got my email i sent it to you though the Dr. Pinky addresses. Lee
8:30 am
Fw: Re: Star
Jack I think you will like this. I was upset about Nora Ephron’s death, which I learned about before public disclosure from David. And I was further upset when I learned that Liz Smith had published an elegiac column about Nora as though she were already dead, but before Nora died. So I called upon the spirit of Dr. Pinky, using an anonymous address that starts with repp. So here are the results. Lee
6/26/12, 8:33 pm
From: repp78434 <repp78434@mypacks.net>
To: lizziesmith3838 <lizziesmith3838@aol.com> Subject: Star
For she so much loved the rich and famous that she reported their death
even before they were dead. You know me (and admire my work),, but
I’ll just pass unnoticed by you into that good night.
9:11 pm
From: lizziesmith3838@aol.com
To: repp78434@mypacks.net
Subject: Re: Star
DEAR REPP EVEN IN DEATH NORA DID ME A FAVOR
BY GOING A FEW HOURS AFTER I SAID SHE DID.
THANKS FOR THE QUOTE. IIZ (WHO ARE YOU, REALLY?)
6/29/12, 7:06 am
I don’t really understand why it did that. I sent something from repp to me at Yahoo, and there was no problem. What is behind that sort of thing? Maybe the “anonymous” addresses are suspected by your particular censor. . Did you ever get to see the exchange between me and Liz?. ..I am so jollied by the Supremes’ decision [upholding the Affordable Care Act]. Right wing radio melted down. P.S. Spell-check changed “jollied” to “jellied.” It’s not that hot.
PPS I’m going to try to get ack-ack out of my address book. It was an accident to begin with (that’s how my parents explained me)
1:58 pm
Thrilled about Obamacare. I was never so happy to have been so wrong. I got the news early, so as I walked through the streets I was stopping people, “Did you hear? Did you hear.” One or two of them looked at me like I was unloosed, so at their backs I hollered “The war is over. The war is over.” On right wing radio there was a general meltdown, accusing Roberts of everything, just a little to the right of sedition, and to the left of pederasty. P.S. You and I will use my real address, at yahoo from now on, just in case Liz is trying to get through to me. Signed Pinky Lee
• Volume 1: 2005–6
• Volume 2: 2007–8
• Volume 3: 2009
• Volume 4: 2010
• Volume 5: 2011
• Volume 6: Apr. 2012
• Volume 7: May 2012
Jack Silbert, curator