Word: violet
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...Todkins", and "Toadlebinks"; her sister Vanessa was "Dolphin", "Sheepdog" or just "Nessa"; her brother Thoby was "Gribbs", "Grim", "Herbert", or "Thobs"; and she signed herself just about anything: "Billy Goat", "Goat", "Goatus Esq.", "Wallaby", "Kangaroo", "Apes", and so forth. Over half the letters in this volume are addressed to Violet Dickinson, a six foot two spinster aunt who seems to have served as Virginia's foster mother. In these, Virginia's childishness reaches its pack...
Although generally affectionate, Virginia could also be quite harsh. The blind observance of formality, which she considered the definition of idiocy, particularly tried her patience. For example, when relatives came to visit her dying father and offer her their sympathy she fumed to Violet Dickinson, "Relatives swarm. I liken them to all kinds of parasitic animals really I think they deserve no better. Three mornings have I spent having my hand held and my emotions pumped...
...Stephen's place in the household, Virginia's half-sister Stella, died two years later. When she was 22, her father passed away; two years after that, her brother Thoby died of typhoid fever. Virginia only spoke of the last death, and even her reference to that was fortuitous. Violet was very ill with the same disease and in order to conceal Thoby's death from her, Virginia made up cheerful prognostications and a few stories about him. This went on for a month before Violet heard the grim truth and the game was up. Virginia did not mention Thoby...
...during the years this volume of her letters covers) was marked by a particular bitchiness in Virginia. As she recovers, her letters are extraordinary for their clarity and maturity. She emerges from each breakdown refreshed, with a new power of vision. After one summer-long madness she writes to Violet...
...Puerto Rican five is Teo Cruz, whom Coach John Harvey eyeballed at 6'8" and 220 pounds. The 35 year old Cruz, who will be playing in his fifth consecutive Olympics this September, played fresh-man ball for NYU at the same time Satch Sanders was leading the Violet varsity...