The Big Heart of Michael Glosup, et al

[Jules Siegel]

Those who wish to meet Michael Bigheart's criteria fully, with or without
expressing appreciation, can send books to a very deserving friend of mine
currently in prison:

Joaquin Aldamic c/o Mercedes Sánchez
Domicilio Conocido
Puerto Morelos, Q. Roo

Joaquin is a good and decent father and husband, who wound up on the wrong
side of the law and was sent to prison in Chetumal. He became head of the
prisoners' internal government in recognition of his intelligence, rectitude
and spiritual superiority. After prison protests against prison conditions,
a new get-tough warden sent him to Almoloya, the maximum security prison in
Mexico City where prisoners of state are held. The prisoners then rioted
again in protest.

Anyone who is serious about doing this can send me e-mail and I will get his
correct address, as I wouldn't want to burden Mercedes with the cost of
re-mailing any books. He will appreciate books in Spanish, but he does read
some English.  

Following are brief replies to Bigheart's last inane message:

At 15:47 10/31/96 +0000, mglosup at randomc.com wrote:

> You are presumably employable

I am approximately 50% disabled. I have a plastic hip which was installed 20
years ago and now needs to be replaced. My mobility is quite limited.
Despite this, I do work. I just don't earn enough to be able to afford
decent books. As you may know, Mexico is going through some very severe
economic strains. The peso is very weak. I earn my living in pesos. Books in
English are priced in dollars. We have no English-language library.

> There are other professional writers on this list, none of whom in my
memory have ever dunned us for payment. 

Dunning you? Can you read and write, or is Hal the Robot taking dictation
here? "...wish to express your appreciation..." = dunning? I said that we
would contribute any books we did not want to keep to the Casa de la Cultura
de Cancun.

> I would have to reject you as a worthy candidate for a fundraiser.

Fundraiser? What funds? Old books? Old text books for my children?

I happen to fit all of your criteria, except I'm not in custody. Murderers
and rapists are more worthy of receiving cast-off books than a writer whose
work at one time appeared in publications such as Esquire, Saturday Evening
Post, Best American Short Stories, Best American Magazine Verse...?

My father, however, did spend eight years in special solitary confinement in
Danemorra, the New York maximum security prison for incorrigibles. I wrote
about him in "Family Secrets," New American Review #10.

I find your crocodile thanks for the article quite smarmy. Please delete the
piece from your hard disk, if you have not done so already. Then report to
your nearest mental clinic and ask if they can teach you how to be a human
being.

As always,

--
Jules Siegel http://www.caribe.net.mx/siegel/jsiegel.htm
Mail: Apdo. 1764 Cancun QR 77501 Mexico
Street: Green 16 Paseo Pok-Ta-Pok Zona Hotelera Cancun QR 77500 Mexico
Tel: 011-52-98 87-49-18 Fax 87-49-13 E-mail: jsiegel at mail.caribe.net.mx
--
Jules Siegel http://www.caribe.net.mx/siegel/jsiegel.htm
Mail: Apdo. 1764 Cancun QR 77501 Mexico
Street: Green 16 Paseo Pok-Ta-Pok Zona Hotelera Cancun QR 77500 Mexico
Tel: 011-52-98 87-49-18 Fax 87-49-13 E-mail: jsiegel at mail.caribe.net.mx