Hi, Joe,

How goes it?

I am teaching two new courses this summer, so the class preparations have me pretty well tied down.

Irene and I did get up to St. Louis to see Walt over the Fourth holiday.  He has finished his internship and now (gratefully) enters his actual residency, much to his relief.  We found him much older, more mature, quite changed from the eager young med student who left Alabama a year ago.  However, he still loves his calling.

Valerie is preparing to undergo the guesswork of finding a residency.  She will interview in a number of states.  She, too, is much altered by her work in the hospitals.  

Yesterday (Saturday) the NY TIMES devoted a section of its op-ed age to four responses to her recent column; all of them were very favorable.

Irene is in California visiting her parents and some friends.  

That's so great that Matt found a position in the state where he most wanted to teach.  Some of your luck evidently rubbed off on him.  Try to encourage him to place his wonderful Twain chapter from his dissertation chapter.

Best regards,
Alan