Love, H: The Letters of Helene Dorn and Hettie Jones

Jones (How I Became Hettie Jones) and Helene Dorn met in 1960 when both were married to writers—Amiri Baraka and Edward Dorn—whose public selves overshadowed the creative lives of their wives. Struggling to make space for their own work amid marriage and motherhood, Jones and Dorn formed a mutually sustaining friendship that lasted until Dorn’s death in 2004. This book tells the story of that relationship through the letters Jones and Dorn exchanged, selected and presented here with additional explanatory narrative by Jones. Part memoir, part documentary, and part eulogy for a beloved friend’s passing, this volume offers a unique perspective on the late 20th century through the eyes of women fighting to define themselves as artists against economic and cultural odds. With Jones based in NYC and Dorn settling in Gloucester, Mass., both women experienced economic precarity in the gentrifying Northeast, worked day jobs that pulled them away from their creative work (writing for Jones, painting and sculpting for Dorn), and launched children into adulthood. They also traded book recommendations, reflected on current events, and encouraged each other to take their work seriously. “What I didn’t learn from [male artists],” writes Jones in her introduction, “was to value my moments enough to speak of them; for that I needed Helene.” This moving portrait of a friendship has much to offer those with an interest in the lives of women writers and artists. B&w and color photos.[em] (Oct.) [/em]