The review from the Saturday Review of the book Days and Nights in Calcutta, by Clark Blaise and Bharati Mukherjee, begins, “Burned out of their Montreal house in February 1973, Clark Blaise and his wife, Bharati Mukherjee, flew to India clutching their children, a typewriter, and a year’s supply of dental floss.”

The letter is written on parchment. The border is embroidered with a design I would say was by Fatima, Moineddin’s wife. There is a saying by Teilard de Chardin (“You are truly, in your serenity, Nature’s noblest energies”) at the bottom and other designs at the top. Although I have stopped posting scans of the letters due to their inscrutability, the artistry of this page deserves to be seen, because no amount of description can convey the visual beauty. Thank you Fatima, if it was you!

A word about “your Florida tour” that Moineddin refers to. With John Johnson holding forth at his center in Homestead, Florida, near Miami, Mansur and his family relocated to Naples, Florida, on the opposite coast of Florida for the winter.

Hurkalya

March 31, 1977

Dear Mansur, Beloved One of God,

As-salaam aleikhum!

Came across this review of Clark and Bharati Blaise’s new book, and thought you would be interested in seeing it. You do remember Clark and Bharati, don’t you? I still think of Bharati as the most beautiful Indian woman I have ever seen, and always felt that Clark must have had something real strong going for him because he wasn’t physically the handsomest man I ever saw.

I keep sending these little bits and pieces to Naples, presuming that you are still on your Florida tour.

That’s all for now, dear friend.

Allah mu barak!

Moineddin