Lay 16, 1973

Dr. J.ic.Xl.A.nch:~m
L)ep.:rtment of Genetics
The University of Leeds
Leeds  LX2 gJT

3ear John:

   Your letter of Kay 2 invitirie me to attend a itJorkshop on
" p; L r': imut:tion" this coming September was much ap);rec'. LtC?d.    I
:Ash th,lt, I might attend but already my commitments for the next
few months are so many qnd so demanding that I d ire not add to
them.

  I am tr!ily sorry not to attend rts I reco&ze the degree to WL:ioh
K'tny ~?1spCc ts of my reports are not co::?rehended by :::%ny of tb:ose
l~or&i.n~l; with my m.terials or with siciil ;r* or ral;rCed ones.    i iil~h of
this is my frtult.   I stopped publi s':iing detailed reports long ago
:d.hen I; realized, :ind acutely,  the extent of tfisi;-trirest rtnd l::ck of
confidence in the concl~:sions I w.as drawin;; from the studies.    Jith
the liti:rature filli?d to the exh`;ustion of all of us, 1: deciiied it
was useless to add weight to the biologist's w*~:atebcisket.  lnstes:d,
I decided to use the added time to enl,rge ea;;erimt:nt,s :!a   thus
incre::se my comprehensions of the b:2sic phenomena,   The time h .e
C O?il e ,  however, \fhen a more dct:liled ex;,osition could be effective.
.it le:i:;t it would indic%te the .-r,ilantity and r:ne;e of the st,ii!.i;?C; t&t
h%ive contr:LbLlted to summ-iry staterients :ij>pc::triQ; in my reports.
1 h::d ho;jed th,ft these sunm*iry SL te::ienTLs wouLd suCfice, !t li?f!st
for a time, but t:;ey did not in most inst rices..

  iill of the above is not ir;te!:ded 4s a CC ,plaint.   Fkitiiifr, it is to
let ,JO kno'.%T why I sto>ped p blishing detr-liled :icc:)unts :tfter 1953,
and ?ilso and pLrticul~rly because I wish you to know Low much 1
have ap;:reci:lted your c::tr ful consider Itio, s an: y:, ,r thoughtful
coi:iprehension of the subst tnce of these summ,iries.   ,uch c:>mpre?;ier sion
h'i s  been rure, indeed.  It is undurst :nd !ble, how'ever, a:; ;,';l;lr
crt,:ncity to c ,mprehend and to iuitegrite is co: spicuously ciemo::str ted
in your lintirrhinum studies.   They are sharply focused, c&bt-lrly
executed, *rlld they come right to the point--no fuzziness!
  cl1 gsod luck witii the c!,nference :ind th,ink you for i.:viti?i; me.

                   Si;:cerely,
      L-Ah
                     4   -D-

                       Barbara iicdlir:tock