Edward Masen #15604091
Waterview State Correctional Facility

June 17, 2009

Dear Edward,

Happy Birthday! I don't think you'll receive this until after your special day, but know that I'll be thinking about you.

Don't worry. Your letter wasn't boring at all, your handwriting is just fine, and I assure you that I am a female. I hope our age difference isn't an issue. If it's any consolation, I'm okay with it.

It's really cool that you write music! I'm sure your recent compositions aren't crap. Is that what you did for work before? Do you play any instruments?

The southwest is beautiful. The sun is always out and the sky is blue. It hardly ever rains, unlike here. There are so many colors. A lot of people think that it's all dirt and brown, but that's just not true. My favorite time of year is in the spring when everything blossoms and it's hot, but not too hot. It's over 100° there now. It's not that bad, though. I'd take it over snow any day.

I thought about going to school in the south, but I wanted to experience something new. As much as I love it, I'm not sure if I'll go back when I'm done. I want to see more of the world. I only came here because my dad lives in Seattle, and I could stay with him instead of living on campus.

What brought you to Washington? Will you go back to Chicago when you get out?

And to answer your question, no, I don't plan on only writing you for the summer. As long as we both want to do this, I see no reason why we can't continue.

I know what you mean about this feeling strange. Remember we both chose to do this. It's just you and me, and I'm not going to judge you. Don't worry about the right thing to say, just write.

What do I do for fun? I like to hang out with friends—go to movies and the beach. I read a lot, too. I'm perfectly content with sitting at home by myself for the weekend. Back home I hiked a lot, but I don't do it much here. Just the thought of cold, wet socks makes me cringe. I've just realized I'm not interesting at all. Now I'm probably boring you to death!

There are a couple things I am curious about. Forgive me if I ask anything that makes you uncomfortable. Feel free to tell me to butt out or just ignore me. I promise I won't push you to tell me anything. I decided to stick them all at the end of the letter, so you can just stop reading if you want to. Otherwise, here goes nothing.

You wrote that Mr. Masen was your father. Does that mean he has passed away?

Am I really the first person who's written to you? It seems like such a long time to go without friends or family contacting you. Is your family still in Chicago? Do they ever visit or call?

Take care,
Isabella