Thelonious Monk   1957     taken by B.Lemkowitz  Leica M3  90mm

Dear Ralph,

        I received your tragic letter about your savage glue-sniffing son and read it while eating breakfast at 4:30 am  in a Waffle House in Kingston, NY.  I  made some notes on your problem at the time but they are not the kind of notes that any decent man would want to send a friend..... so I put them away until I could bring a little more concentration to bear on the matter....   and, I have come to this conclusion.....throw the little bastard out.

       You are reaping the whirlwind Ralph, send the boy to me along with a check for $50,000 and I'll turn him into something you may be proud of. Have you ever put a brick through a plate glass window Ralph ?  It makes a wonderful goddam noise and the people inside run around like rats in a firestorm. It's fun, Ralph and a bargain at any price you sniveling, hypocritical bastard. Just send the boy to me and I'll soften him up with some trench work . Children are like TV sets, when they start acting weird whack them across the eyes with a big rubber basketball shoe. How's that for wisdom .  Something wrong with it ?? Jesus, I think I misspoke when I said $ 50,000 would cover it , no, more like $100,000 will do for the murderous little bastard ....you have a real little monster on your hands Ralph and I'm engaged in heating up knishes for Ira and Dorel .. it's Channukah Ralph and I'm in a knish eating mood.