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Howdy, y'all from Texas.

Yo Yo and I just wanted to keep you current on what's goin' on. First, in last Sunday's combined San Francisco Chronicle/ Examiner, there's an article (by me) about Anton and the final days of his life and death. You can check it out on the net (where else?) via: www.sfgate.com . Then, at the prompt in the upper left corner ("jump to"), type Anton Segal and click. There's a nice picture of Anton hugging some old guy. This was one of our last times together, maybe even our last photo together. You'll see Anton as never before: as a Blonde! He'd wound his way to a hip (and gay) section of Paris near the Marais, has asked a couple of guys for the name of a cool hair stylist, and had dyed his hair blonde-- just a day or two before the photo. "It burns like shit," he told me just before he moseyed off to Amsterdam to celebrate-- boy, did he ever celebrate! -- Queen's Day there, when all the Netherlands wears orange. Anton was color blind; maybe he thought his hair was orange. Anyhow, check out the article.

The trial will begin-- at last and after 7 reschedules and 20 months-- with jury selection on Wednesday, August 2. The actual trial will begin with opening statements on Monday, August 7. Yo Yo and I will be in San Francisco from August 1st until the trial concludes two or three weeks later . (Tel. : 415-552-8600, room ?) Many thanks to all of you who have been in touch to give us your love and support through this incredibly difficult time. (By the way, if you happen to want to write the D.A.'s office to send gentle words to coax and encourage, here are their e-mail addresses:

Braden Woods- the deputy DA/ Prosecutor : braden_woods@ci.sf.ca.us
Terence Hallinan- the District Attorney: terence_hallinan@ci.sf.ca.us

Last month's crisis was my reconstructive spinal surgery, on June 20. My cancer (developed right after Anton's murder) had eaten away at my spine. Although the cancer's gone, I was having trouble running after Yo Yo. So the Docs went to the bone bank (I thought of Anton's final bequests) and reconstructed a new back for me. It's been a very rough convalescence.

Now for some good news. Check this out: Anton hitched a ride with his sister Laurie 3 or 4 days ago. Laurie was schlepping by car to downtown Manhattan to see her little sister Erica's new apartment there. (Erica's actually crossing the Brooklyn Bridge and moving "uptown" to downtown, near Wall Street.) So Laurie's on the Long Island Expressway, caught in traffic, bitching to herself about how Anton had a knack for getting out of work. Or like Tom Sawyer, getting someone else to do it. Anyhow there's Laurie, by herself, peeved, listening to her kids' top-10 teen radio station, there's Britney Spears again, when suddenly bam, buzz, the radio goes all kerflooey and then a disembodied voice comes on clear as a bell and says, "This one's to you, from the one you love." The Lennon song, Beautiful Boy, plays through top to bottom.

This is the song John Lennon wrote (and sang) when Oko's and his son Sean was born. Anton had spent years denying he was Lennon's son and the song was about him. (In later years, he would admit yes, he was Sean, and it was his song!) At any rate, Beautiful, Beautiful Boy did become Anton's song, and as many of you may remember, we played it at Anton's Memorial Service at Harvard.

O.K. so back on the Long Island Expressway, the song plays through, bam, buzz, the radio goes all kerflooey again, then the static suddenly clears, the teen station reappears, and on goes the normal programming. It was the Twilight Zone meets the X-Files. Maybe you had to be there. Maybe it was a sign. Maybe we're always looking for signs. If you're looking too, then maybe this one's to you, from the one you love.

Anton's Harvard Fellowship continues to grow. Our ongoing thanks to all of you who have already contributed. (To those who haven't yet, we still could use a little help!) Anton's organ transplants still remain healthy. All the recipients we've heard from have reported they're doing well... other than an occasional weird urge to dye their hair yellow. How pleased we are!

When we have more news to report about the trial, we'll let you know. In the meantime, stay in touch. We send you all much love.

-Yo Yo and Jim