I am lucky enough to have received, and then to have saved, much of what Lawrence wrote to me in the late 60s and 70s. These bits of writings are little treasures. Even early on, they reveal his thinking and his characteristic approach to life. I admired and envied his sophistication in marshalling his thoughts and expressing his feelings — he was far ahead of me in that regard.
This card from 1968 is the first item I received from Lawrence. He was the editor of the school newspaper at the time, and I was its cartoonist. I don’t know if Lawrence handed out any other Christmas cards — I know I did not — and I don’t recall why Lawrence called that year a “waste.” It may have had something to do with events like the My Lai massacre, the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy, and the election of Richard Nixon. Or it may have been more personal.
I think this card marked the start of our friendship. – CHC
