Letter from Stan Brakhage to Sally Dixon
(10/16/1974)
Am mailing you the print of "The Text of Light" in abt 15 minutes.
As it turner out, the lab print was no good: thus you'll be getting
the print I'd set aside for myself (because I thought it the VERY best; and I have to smile at your/my angels arranging it that you — said to myself: "Yes, youre right!, it is Sally who deserves the VERY best!")
It'll be coming to you in a mailing box which I wish you would keep for me, so that I can mail back anything extra we pick up in Pittsburgh — just take the box home to your house, okay? Also please put IN that box the clippings I lent you to xerox ... while you remember!
The print IS a reversal print from the original (the higher priced and more colorful one): so, that settles THAT! It has been run only once (as all are for my checking): so it is BRAND new! The 2nd reel has one splice in it where I removed,from an absolutely black splice frame, a lab. botch of white — thought I'd let you know so you wouldn't worry some part of the film was missing there ... I always do this with my own prints where such removal-of-dirtblob-or-other doesn't lose a picture image. Now if my angels will just be good enough to give me back an equally fine print for my vault in the future . . . and, yes, one of the int. neg. prints for Jane: God, a his and her film! Another reason, tho', for you to have Original print is that these are thicker, tougher, and will thus last longer. Anyway, I shall actually WAVE as it passes across the post office counter. Let me know IMMEDIATELY it arrives. And save me the mailing box.
Now you have some intimation of WHAT a fussy bastard I am — not one in a billion will EVER know the difference between prints . . . "but Sally will," whispers my/yr? angels — all the same probably.
See you in a week!
Dear Sally,
