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353 Washington St Somerville MASS 02143 December 26, 1979 Dear Jack Conroy,

     I wanted to thank you for your kind words about my book underlined:  Trouble on the Hill.  It's hard to interest readers (or booksellers) today in a collection of stories by an unknown, even more so when the stories are in a vein currently "out of favor."  So I do appreciate  your help.
     I know my stories are uneven.  It's like I've only made it to the underlined:  initial  level of being a writer, and there's a whole lifetime of learning, skill, trial and error ahead.  My hope is, that the publication of this book will spark others to write stories about working people, and to read what's already been written from this perspective (and largely underlined:  forgotten ).  In a time when fiction tries to brutalize or numb the reader, or titillate his fantasies, I think there's a great need for solid fiction which can address people's struggles.
     Thanks again.  I look forward to meeting you one of these days. 
Michael Glenn