1986-06 (June)

Sunday, June 1st[1986] Slept late again, 8:30, + enjoyed it thoroughly; a great blessing, this end to “terminal” insomnia. Read Chekhov’s My Life; surprisingly like Celine, some the XXX X XXXX XXXX, in many ways. Enjoyed it, as in fact I do all of Chekhov. Avery arrived from New Orleans; gwyn went with Johnny to meet her,then went shopping at a big cutrate wholesale warehouse for household items + dog food; big saving through mass buying.Junkymovie, “Gremlins.”

Tuesday, June 3rd[1986] Lawrence Rainer operated on in morning. Verdict: cancer, possibly of colon as well as ovaries. Prognosis still undetermined. I went to Baptist east to see Jim + be with gwyn. Had lunch with her in cafeteria, then came on home. Later word on Lawrence, from the surgeon, even worse than earlier, sketchy information; obscure, however, + ambiguous ending lab report. TV: NBC White Paper on divorce. Unsatisfactory because of foremat + Jane Pauly, over dressed + overmanicured commentator. Called Louis Rubin; cleared way for Summa republication of Tournamentthis winter. Jordan County, Louis said, will be out “next fall”—whatever that means.

Wednesday, June 4th [1986] Rose shortly after 6; cereal + coffee; regular breakfast when Sarah arrived at 7:50. Wrote to Bill Carter in Birmingham authorizing Summa to republish Tournament—“700 copies of a perfect bound edition with a 65-lb Tuscan Cover...with appropriate pictures + illustrations.” Publication, he says, in Dec. Gwyn went to see her mother at Allen Morgan + Lawrence at Baptist East, then later to get her teeth cleaned. Bank; cashed medicarechecks. Post office; mailed Carter letter. Wrote to Rosen alerting him to Summa, Algonquin republication contracts.

Thursday, June 5th[1986] Returned two Chekhov volumes to Library; got monthly haircut.Went with gwyn, after lunch, to see her mother at Alan Morgan. Sad experience; I don’t think she even knew me, though I believe she barely knew gwyn—maybe, however, in this way someone would be likely to know a more recent acquaintance, since gwyn goes several times a week + I hadn’t been there in about two weeks. A lot of people, now a days, pay a very large price for passing the normal span of life.