In a French housing project in 1995, one young girl named Laurence was going through it: The abusive step-father, substance abuse, eviction, next stop homelessness, the works. She wrote this rather strange punk rock performer named Iggy Pop telling him all about it. Punk rock life being what it is, it took Iggy awhile, but this is what he wrote back -which she recieved right before she became an ward of the state

dear laurence,

thankyou for your gorgeous and charming letter, you brighten up my dim life. i read the whole ****ing thing, dear. of course, i'd love to see you in your black dress and your white socks too. but most of all i want to see you take a deep breath and do whatever you must to survive and find something to be that you can love. you're obviously a bright ****ing chick, w/ a big heart too and i want to wish you a (belated) HAPPY HAPPY 21st b'day and happy spirit. i was very miserable and fighting hard on my 21st b'day, too. people booed me on the stage, and i was staying in someone else's house and i was scared. it's been a long road since then, but pressure never ends in this life. 'perforation problems' by the way means to me also the holes that will always exist in any story we try to make of our lives. so hang on, my love, and grow big and strong and take your hits and keep going.

all my love to a really beautiful girl. that's you laurence.

iggy pop

                             (from Letters of Note)