Letters from Marcy #9: 8 July 1965
This appears to be from the start of the summer quarter at Antioch. In my notes on the previous letter, I thought that Marcy was going to spend the summer in Philadelphia, but I see now that I misinterpreted; she just had a couple of weeks between quarters.
One of the things that surprises me in these letters (and makes me a little sad) is the supercilious scorn with which she describes some people; that’s not something I remember her doing in real life. I don’t know whether she got less likely to do that over time, or whether I’m misinterpreting her tone, or whether I just wasn’t aware of it. The only instance in this letter is her description of the music teacher, but I feel like it’s a tone that shows up again in later letters.
I’m also surprised, and a little amused, at how much space she devotes to talking about meds of various sorts, I think mostly for allergies. [Edited to add: her uncle Iz was a pharmacist.]
And I’m amused at her mention of getting three Bs and being annoyed by grades; that bit reads a little defensive to me, but I may be reading too much into it.
thursday
[pencil: 7/8/65]
Hi-oh.
Just a note to tell you thanks for the check and all.
Haven't cashed it yet, so don't worry if it doesn't show up
right away; shall do so tomoro.
Have to spend another $4. on a textbook: elementary music
test for elementary music course. Teaching fundamentals of
how to sight read, etc, which I sorely need--besides, its a
prereq for the music for kiddies course I couldn't take last
quarter, cos I didn't know the basics. Will learn to
sight-sing, pick out tunes on piano, read music, etc. There
are--of 15 in the class--nine of us who are 3rd-yr-&-up ed
majors who are forced to take it, and want to move a little
faster than the teacher, who has never taught before and
gears the classes to first-grade level.
He's kind of xx upset with us; here we are, all grown up and
adults and don't even know that music is the most important
thing in the world, and insist on treating it like anything
else, rather than The Word, and then get upset xxx when he
asks for three examples of rhythm that aren't musical. Only
he spells it rythm.
Living in a dorm name of Greywood, phone # of which I don't
know, as I'm in the library, (which is why I'm using Marti
Raines's stationery, if you note the reverse) rooming with a
gal named Sue Merrick who I've known for a long time but not
very well. She's okay; I guess. We kind of keep our distance
& don't have too much in common. The dorm is situated about
halfway between campus and downtown, which keeps away noises
and things and is pretty private. It's a converted old
mansion, just about, with two aptments for married students
on the first floor and a girls dorm upstairs. Rather decent,
for a damn dormitory. Guess Daddy will be in the Hospital
when this arrives. Hope ail goes smoothly--what exactly do
they do?
By the way, I was talking to a med student friend who's just
had a pharmacology course, and he says reserpine can have
depressant effects sometimes. do you (either or both) still
take it? I guess you build up a tolerance after a while.
Grades from last quarter are out. (new system) I got 3 B's;
big deal. grades still annoy me.
other courses are a level III general education
seminar--which I'll explain at a later date, but for now
it's too complex to go into, and an independent study on
modern methods of teaching math in elementary schools. with
a teacher from the Antioch school, the thing kind of run in
conj. w/ the x ed. dept. as a quasi-experimental and
student-teachery school, and a damn fine one. mostly faculty
kids, who are mostly brilliant. Anyway, this guy knows a lot
about New Math (as yet a meaningless phrase, x but with lots
of ramifications) and will be the sort-of guide for the
indep. study. but I have to plan it all myself.
Enclosed is the tutition bill, which I just found in my
purse, getting wrinkled.
Have wracked my brains but have no association to remember
the cab fare you asked about. sorry.
getting sleepy, and have to go to a meeting pretty soon, so
for now I am going out on the lawn to take a nap.
regards to Sachses--how is Alan?
[handwritten: love Marcia]
Postmark: Jul 10, 1965, Yellow Springs, Ohio. Handwritten: “Rec’d this 7/12/65” and “I ans. this 7/17.”