Dear Lucile:

Hurrah!

It was great to hear from you again; and I am delighted to know that you will send the MS soon! I am so eager to experience it! It is especially good, too, that you plan to visit here in June! We need to have some good talks and get acquainted again.

I've finished the Boyhood section of The Old Man — 45000 words.

Have you had any communication with Bruce Nicoll? He is bringing out a new printing of the Lyrics with a better photo on the cover. Did you see the ETV guide with the cover picture? "John Neihardt: A Journey Home" may be on the national hookups soon. It is very popular here, for some reason or other.

My Old Man Remembers is developing finely. People who have seen it cry and laugh in the right places! Really, Lucile, it's pretty damn good!

Hurrah for old Stewart! Give him my regards

And love to you and Bower —

John Neihardt
Volume II of Letter to Lucile
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I was not through writing when I reached the end of that page, so here I go again.

I want to add that the Boyhood section of my Old Man book is complete in itself and makes a holding little book of about 200 pages. I'm already 15 pages into the next section. People actually do laugh and cry when they read it; and I haven't tried to make them do it. It's a simple, kindly story, told in a way that is probably new. I don't know a book that is much like it.

People reading your book will want mine, and vice versa. I don't recall telling you how I see it. Well, Hugo called music " the vapor of the arts. I call my book "the vapor of autobiography".

I was in Columbia last week talking talking to high schools. At Jefferson Junior I had 1500 youngsters. I gave them poetry, and they gave me six (6) standing ovations!! It was thrilling! Wow!!

At Hickman High the girls were delighted (really) and the boys said I was "cool, neat, groovy". They tell me that is tops. I'm overjoyed to be so modern! Bless their hearts! What kids they are! I give all my programs from memory now — and the effect is notable as compared with reading. I can recite more than an hour and a half without hesitation or forgetting a syllable.

It's hard to realize that Old Stewart isn't specializing in John Paul Jones anymore — and that soon he'll be married and soon after he'll doubtless be old Doc Aly, the historian! Hurrah for Time! How it seems to gallop! — (and probably it does not move at all!)

Love to you all.

John.
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========== Air Mail
L[INCOL?]N PM [2?] MAY 1969

Dr. Lucile Aly 1132 22nd Ave., East, Eugene, Oregon. 97403
May 1 '69

Robin Petri went to the Army today!

5835 Vine
Lincoln,
Neb.