Irene Zelinski to Maria Chabot
Irene Zelinski to Maria Chabot
Date: 1964 March through 1972 November
Collection: Maria Chabot Papers, MS.40
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DESCRIPTION
- Abstract
- Seventeen letters, Zelinski's suicide note to Chabot, and fifteen postcards from Irene Zelinski to Maria Chabot, March 5, 1964 – Nov. 7, 1972, along with twenty-five undated letters, fragments of three letters, an itinerary of travel in Greece, and a map of Athens are contained in this box. Five letters from Zelinski to Chabot, March 5, 1964 – April 9, 1964, the first of which tells of financial and legal preparations Zelinski has made before embarking on a trip to Greece. The second is a letter she is leaving in her desk addressed to Chabot giving her instructions as her executrix in case of her demise while traveling. The other three letters are written from aboard ship en route to Greece. Six letters and eleven postcards from Greece, April 13, 1964 – June 1963, are written from Greece. There is also one postcard from Istanbul, Turkey; an itinerary of the Greek trip; and a map of Athens. Her letter of April 30, 1964 tells of her affair with the Greek hotel manager, Nicolas, and her letter of May 5, 1964 gives a physical description of him. On September 9, 1964 Zelinski attempted suicide by talking pills. Her suicide note to Chabot is here enclosed. For details on the suicide attempt consult the Maria Chabot Archives, Confidential Correspondence, Maria Chabot to Christiane Gallet, Sept. 11, 1964 – Oct. 15, 1964. Four letters, Feb. 2, 1964 – July 14, 1965, are written from San Francisco. The letter posted June 18, 1965 has a note on the back of the last page by Georgeanna Wight. Two letters, Aug. 25, [1971] and Nov. 7, 1972 are written from San Francisco after Zelinski's marriage to her second husband, Ray [Raymond] James. The first letter mentions surgery on her right hand for cancer, which will eventually take her life. The second letter was written four days before her death on Nov. 11, 1972. Twenty-five undated letters, of which six are inscribed with the day and month but not the year, and nineteen are inscribed with only the day of the week. Four fragmentary letters [there are pages missing] probably written between 1956 and 1961.
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System ID: aspace_c4e7fd730952397aa561600fe3321a62