June 23rd, 1967

Visiting Nathan a lot, sitting around, smoking dope, telling stories.

Nathan got burned by girl he lent $80 to so she could score for herself. Her old man did the same thing with somebody else's money & they both split. Hardly fazes Nathan.

“I’m not interested in making money,” he says. “I just want to get people high.”

Charges $8 a lid.

Looks like Keith thing is off. Lives with Virginia & legless blue grass guitar player. Nathan says he won’t want to room with someone he doesn't know.

Then Keith shows up with Bart & Jenny & we all eat magic mushrooms. Head off to the street fair in Nathan’s VW bus. Great groups: The Santana Blues Band & Madriver.

Keith & I hit it off real well. Start rapping for hours. Tells me story of time he stayed with Ken Kesey in Mexico, wife & kids, mistress too—Mountain Girl.

Keith decides to move in. He’s working on a novel too. We’ll both be starting graduate school in the fall.

I’ve now written as much as I did last summer in same amount of time. 37 pages.

China explodes first hydrogen bomb. Russia demands Israel withdraw from West Bank & Gaza. Blacks riot in Atlanta, Boston, & Cleveland. Muhammad Ali gets 5 years.

» June 25th, 1967 : Letter from Nam I