We have been part approach looking ahead to you through the holidays—especially after outdated ‘bass clef’ Deren known as to ask us to a celebration and advised that we deliver you alongside when you ‘happened’ to be on the town. We went there trying to find you in individual yet chanced on you simply in spirit. The chick was once draped out in whatever like a sarong, her hair blazing, her ft naked with anklets of little bells that tinkled as she acquired into that Haitian groove. She rather had the sensation for that stuff too, man—mostly within the shoulders even though ‘cause as she defined them Hate-ties don’t idiot round with bumps and grinds reduce it’s loss of life dance. yet previous Maya was once shaking and tinkling with the sensation, and once we might trap her for moments in all that mob of individuals, speaking with loads of perception. however it wasn’t till round 4 a. m. whilst I occurred to return to the bed room to get one for the line, that she broke down. She stated, within the quietest, so much personal tone of the wild night, “Ralph, what's a bass clef chick? ” and that i toppled, guy, from the ankles, hit the flo’ and rolled! He’s the following, I cried. He’s arrived! Who, she acknowledged. What do you suggest? Murray, I acknowledged. And whilst i ended giggling and seemed up, guy, there she stood with no her anthropology on! Then I needed to guarantee her that i used to be giggling at you now not at her. Then as I grabbed for our coats i attempted to provide an explanation for what a bass clef chick intended to me—which took me into intestine and bucket, blues and jive, meta and physic. So then she desired to comprehend what was once intended by way of a chick calling somebody’s identify! and that i stated, He’s the following, he’s actually been right here! yet what approximately calling his identify, she stated. and that i acknowledged, glance, while the bass clef is grooving with overtones, earthing and skying, jooking and jiving, moaning and crying, doing-and-dying, penetrating and being penetrated and he or she hits him the place he lives and he jumps undergo or rabbit, bull or hound and starts to riff then, girl, his identify has been known as. She’s nonetheless digging after it guy. We left her digging, and that i informed Fanny who didn’t listen so much of it that it used to be a rattling disgrace what you had performed to anthropology. heavily although, she’s a pleasant individual and I’m pleased that we ultimately met. yet you, guy; I’ve been listening to approximately you from everywhere. you may have taken that low-down southern cullud jive of yours and unfold all of it over western civilization. i used to be conversing with Bellow and he informed me approximately you in Paris. He used to be either surprised and amused over your ease of operation. and that i acknowledged, “Who, him? Hell, guy, the area is his briar patch. ” If he didn’t comprehend me he'll whilst your booklet comes out. Hurry and get it as much as us. I’ll let you know no matter what i will. And if Random is hesitant, i've got an excellent pal at Knopf’s who's frightened to work out it. convinced, possibly we’ll have books released through the related 12 months. I accomplished the web page proofs in December and count on certain copies someday in Feb. booklet date is decided for the day after Easter. And the present factor of Partisan evaluation consists of the prologue. issues are rolling, all right and that i bet I’m now a marginally mammy-made novelist.