I think I may have posted a photo of José Ramón and me before, when he visited us here, but I am thinking of him now. He sent me a beautiful PDF copy of Gary Taylor's notes on his Middleton Macbeth, which will come into play for the chapter Laury and I will be writing, and he wrote that he would soon mail a xerox of the entire Taylor version of the play. What a friend! Thank you, JR.

Dear Friends and Family,

I have already met two of my deadlines, well in advance. I sent in my response to the SQ edits and I sent in edits to Sarah and Nathalie for my chapter of their book on three TV Hamlets. Deadlines loom over me, but when I sit down to deal with the matter it never is as bad as it seems; it's more fun and takes less time than I imagine. I am still working on the TFANA Macbeth, but Laury and I might see it again, if she can get press tickets. She'll write about it for a different journal.

We heard from Dr.M. yesterday. He is bewildered about my bloods, but the good news is that there are no blasts (i.e. no sign of leukemia). He said he would confer with Dr. K, my local Dr. Earlier, I had a diagnosis of p. vera that had morphed into myelo fibrosis. Now it looks like some features of p. vera have returned, something he hasn't seen before. I will need another BMB (bone marrow biopsy), but he agreed I could wait until Thursday, after next week's big events.

I am sitting here swathed in the odor of camphor. Merwin and I both visited our skin doctor for the semi-annual check-up yesterday. She suggested Sarna as a skin cream. I used it this morning. It does have a cooling effect, which seems to help a bit.

Much of our time these last few days has been spent watching the news. Unbelievable doings in DC, with the Republicans bent on hurting the middle class and continuing to advance the agenda of the oil companies, big agriculture, etc. The myth is that helping the rich tickles down to the less rich, the middle class, and finally the poor; this “trickle” is what I call "piss on you." It didn't work last time and won't work this time. I am so mad at David Brooks: how can he blandly accept Ryan's massacre of the middle class? Yesterday's Times had facing columns, the one by Brooks and the other by Krugman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist who said Ryan's plan would be a disaster. It would tank the economy.

I wish I could march! Had the wherewithal to fund campaigns. Had the stamina to sit at a phone and make calls. All I can do is fume.

Lots of love to all in these difficult times for our country.
Bernice