Email to Jerome Rothenberg

Note: This text is excerpted from an email sent to Jerome Rothenberg in January 2011. — David Grundy 

I’ve been Jewish much longer than I’ve been a non Jew. I may be the only orthodox in Huntsville. I usually say Traditional. There are only two synagogues here, one conservative, one reform. Most Jews in the south are reform. I ignore the reform, conservative, orthodox, reconstructionist labels. 

Sephardic Jews don’t have such divisions.

Ashkenazi Jews spend too much time in Europe around Catholics, picked up bad habits, my hypothesis.

Half of my Jewish friends are orthodox or ultra orthodox and the other half renegades of varying flavors I met at St. Mark’s or other poem and art venues.

I like both. I am of both. 

Each second sunday in month I go to a poetry group at Starbuck’s.

My work week begins sunday and ends thursday, friday and saturday my weekend. My work day usually begins 06:00 and ends 13:00; it is flexible since I’m the boss poet.

I live near two nieces and a first cousin. I am closest to my older niece. She worries about me more. I am 68. 

I will send a sampler of some poems writ since I spoke with you last in another email. They will be images, jpg. One to whet. You may read it down and across. The hebrews played word games, so I imitate them. 

How to catch up? Well, don’t spend too long at once, file this email away and check out links whenever a spare moment.

I moved to Alabama almost a decade ago to care for my ailing mother; after she died I stay house sitting until my sister retires. Folk believe that I retired because I left the Strand. Poets don’t retire; they die. 

I still have an apartment in the Village, 12th Street and Seventh Avenue, that I share with my roommate, an ex wife; yet when in NYC I live with my lady, Ursula, who lives in same building. She retired from Bellevue and NYU Medical; she’s a paediatrician

Yeah, I know. Three of my ex wives remain close friends and family. My son’s mother, Carolyn, retired to Mt. Dora, Florida to live close to family. When my daughter, Regina, gave birth to the twins at age 44, my son’s mother, my son, my daughter’s mother, and I were there, Marietta, Georgia, to help for a week after she got out of hospital. My ex wives great ladies, great friends, still family.