May 13, 1940

On September 16, 1978 Bruce Chatwin (May 13, 1940 to January 18, 1989) wrote to his wife, from Malaga. They were often separated and she understood his need for independence and presumably his male lovers. In 1978 no one had a clue about AIDS.

Everyone knew about cats. Bruce Chatwin, award winning author of books like Utz (1988), described one this way:

The gatito has discovered all four palm pots for use as its WC. The place is beginning to stink of cat shit....But the headboard of the bed has become the nest of a most elusive mouse. So there you are. Trapped as usual.

Under the Sun: The Letters of Bruce Chatwin (2011) was edited by his wife Elizabeth and his biographer, ‎Nicholas Shakespeare. Chatwin's journalism and novels have a definite place in English literature, as do his letters.