Dear Dirk,

Happy Thanksgiving. I don’t feel much like writing. I went for a walk up to Papa Dino’s. I think I’ll now go for a walk in the other direction and see this “fair view” for myself. I like Cincinnati. Everywhere you are, there’s a view.

I am waiting for Young-Ki and Katie to escort me to dinner. I’m pretty excited about it. I spent the afternoon reading Tom Phillips’INFERNO and the OULIPO COMPENDIUM.

The Unknown just isn’t calling out to me the way it used to do. I can’t connect to the Web. I don’t know why.

I am just sitting here waiting. Yep.

....

It is now 1:26. I had a wonderful evening with Young-Ki & Katie & assorted relatives: everybody except Young-Ki’s mother. The marriage is fully on in the groom’s father’s eyes. It is a groovy and awkward collision of traditions: gardening, math, and ... Korea.

Young-Ki hugged me goodbye.

He may be the best cook I’ve met in years. It will be years before I have the balls to cook a turkey and feed it to people.

He’s got great, hungry brothers, who live and work and study in New York and Boston. He’s got a solid dad and a little sister, whom all the elder brothers lovingly pick on, making her eat vegetables with her whipped cream. “Reddi-Wip.” Proofread THAT.

Brussels’sprouts. Proofread THAT. Is the apostrophe in the right place?

He presented Young-Ki’s parents with numerous gifts relevant to the ceremony of marriage. These included a meticulously constructed photo-album of Young-Ki’s development from infant to adult.

Marriage may be a bigger deal to Young-Ki’s dad than to any of the other relevant parties.

And why was Young-Ki’s mom in Korea, and his dad not even taking a turn on the phone when she called?

But they let me drink and drink I did. I was good and polite and spent some time reading books but was not particularly bitter or withdrawn. I was good.

And, Dirk, now I sit, in your plush pad, smoking and drinking with 12 Monkeys on in the other room. I watched this last night with Mike. If you ever want to have a 1/2-hour conversation about this movie, I’m ready. This is my second time listening to it without seeing it.

What a night!

Young-Ki & Katie are swell. And since I spent the afternoon reading the Oulipo book, I was ready to talk abut math and literature combined. With Katie’s dad. Thereby being socially useful. Talking about math and poetry. Queneau’s 100 thousand billion sonnets. Perec’s Las Disparitions.

Dirk I am opening my second of those sweet dark Guinnesses (sic ?) you left in your fridge. I enjoy beer like this.

I will enjoy it until it’s gone.

I love the movie in the next room.

I may or may not write scenes for the Unknown.

But we can put this in the Unknown.

We can put it all in, because everything is encyclopedic yet dissonant.

Thanks Dirk! It was a good Thanksgiving. I couldn’t figure out how to replace your beer. I’ll make it up somehow.

-William