Tom's story: 2003
27 pieces on this page. Click a picture or "See the whole card" to open the card.
2003 — Tom was 24 and 25
27 pieces on this year: 6 dated to this year · 20 from a range of years, shown here in the middle · 1 made this year or later.
DATED TO 2003
picture kept private
1887Salem State College Catalog 2002-2004
February 8, 2003 (age 24) PROVED
SCHOOL AND GROWING-UP KEEPSAKES
Tom's own Salem State College degree worksheet for his Bachelor of Arts in English (catalog 2002-2004), with a faint pencil note on the back.
the card says: made at age 24
See the whole card → 1 picture
1876Buckly's Quest: (a.k.a. the retiring of Tony C's 25)
April 24, 2003 (age 24) PROVED
ESSAYS AND OTHER WRITINGS (NOT LYRICS)
Tom's typed history paper BUCKLY'S QUEST (A.K.A. THE RETIRING OF TONY C'S 25), April 24, 2003, arguing with stats tables and player interviews that the Red Sox should not retire Tony Conigliaro's number, graded A- with the teacher's red notes.
the card says: made at age 24
See the whole card → 5 pictures
1528Mass House Of Representatives Dean's List Congratulations
July 31, 2003 (age 25) PROVED
SCHOOL AND GROWING-UP KEEPSAKES
A July 31, 2003 letter to Tom on Commonwealth of Massachusetts House of Representatives letterhead from his state representative, congratulating him on making the dean's list, with a handwritten Congratulations!
the card says: made at age 25
See the whole card → 1 picture
1817Lynnfield Weekly News, August 7, 2003 - Rain can't dampen Peabody Golf Day
August 7, 2003 (age 25) PROVED
ESSAYS AND OTHER WRITINGS (NOT LYRICS)
A full issue of the Lynnfield Weekly News for August 7, 2003, marked 8/7 Peabody Golf Day in pen, carrying Tom's bylined sports story Rain can't dampen Peabody Golf Day.
the card says: made at age 25
See the whole card → 3 pictures
129WATERING THE WEEDS
June 2003 (age 24)
POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS
Tom's handwritten red-ink poem WATERING THE WEEDS, written out as a mother's gift to her daughter on a long yellow legal-pad sheet, signed Tom Jensen and dated 6/28-29/2003 with the note "THIS BELONGS ON THE FRIDGE!"
the card says: written in June 2003, at age 24
See the whole card → 5 pictures
picture kept private
1884Salem State College Catalog 2002-2004
February 8, 2003 (age 24) BEST GUESS
SCHOOL AND GROWING-UP KEEPSAKES
Tom's own Salem State College degree worksheet for his Bachelor of Arts in English (catalog 2002-2004), dated 2/8/03, filled in by hand with his course grades.
the card says: written at age 24
See the whole card → pictures kept private
ABOUT 2003: FROM A RANGE OF YEARS, SHOWN HERE IN THE MIDDLE
1816PEABODY EDITION
about 2002-2004 (age 24 to 25)
ESSAYS AND OTHER WRITINGS (NOT LYRICS)
Tom's own binder of his work as a sportswriter for the Peabody and Lynnfield weekly newspapers in 2003 and 2004, with his hand-drawn cover, contents and index pages, dated section dividers, and his bylined clippings on baseball, golf, football and wrestling in sheet protectors.
the card says: written at age 24 to 25
See the whole card → 38 pictures
1828Close your eyes for a second, I promise this won't hurt
about 2002-2004 (age 24 to 25) BEST GUESS
ESSAYS AND OTHER WRITINGS (NOT LYRICS)
Tom's typed draft of his circle theory essay, opening Close your eyes for a second, I promise this won't hurt, with his handwritten margin notes concept and circle theory and a green SO IGNORANT!
the card says: written between age 24 and 25
See the whole card → 6 pictures
1829THE CIRCLE THEORY
about 2002-2004 (age 24 to 25) BEST GUESS
ESSAYS AND OTHER WRITINGS (NOT LYRICS)
Tom's typed essay THE CIRCLE THEORY by Tom Jensen, his parable of Noah, a flood of chickens and the circle of people we care for, on printed white sheets.
the card says: written between age 24 and 25
See the whole card → 6 pictures
738The invisible gap between our fathers
about 2002-2004 (age 23 to 26) BEST GUESS
POEMS NOT YET RELEASED
Tom's handwritten draft of THE INVISIBLE GAP BETWEEN OUR FATHERS, about the Grand-Canyon distance between generations, on a torn strip of lined notebook paper, published in Shorter Lyrics (2013).
See the whole card → 2 pictures
1540Salem State College Commencement Program, Class of 2004
about 2003-2004 (age 25) BEST GUESS
SCHOOL AND GROWING-UP KEEPSAKES
The Salem State College 150th Anniversary program for the 194th Commencement Exercises, Class of 2004, a cream cardstock booklet with the candidates for degrees including Tom's Bachelor of Arts in English.
the card says: made at age 25
See the whole card → 6 pictures
1877I must admit that this whole graduation thing is a fraud
about 2003-2004 (age 24 to 26) BEST GUESS
ESSAYS AND OTHER WRITINGS (NOT LYRICS)
Tom's typed final Literary Criticism essay, opening I must admit that this whole graduation thing is a fraud, where he calls himself a history major who just loves to write, with his quick cheat chart of critical schools, marked SCANNED in green marker.
See the whole card → 5 pictures
411Trivial Pursuit
about 2003 (age 24 or 25) - yellow binder line T41: about 2003 - a year clue whose source is not traced NOT SURE
POEMS IN POEMS BY TOM
Tom's handwritten three-sheet poem Trivial Pursuit, written as the power went out in New York City (people say it's pitch black along the whole East Coast), on torn lined notebook pages, published in Poems By Tom (2007).
See the whole card → 4 pictures
A WIDE GUESS: MORE THAN 10 YEARS, SHOWN HERE IN THE MIDDLE
1I, I dont want to lie to
about 1996-2011 (age 18 to 32) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
POEMS NOT YET RELEASED
Tom's handwritten draft of the unpublished poem that opens "I, I don't want to lie to you," a confession of a dirty little secret saved for the very end, written in black marker on a piece of brown cardboard.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 32 - an estimate
See the whole card → 1 picture
216CLOSER
about 1996-2011 (age 18 to 32) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
POEMS NOT YET RELEASED
Tom's illustrated, previously unpublished short poem CLOSER, written inside a hand-drawn maze under an elaborate block-letter title, with a detailed drawing of a hand holding a pen below.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 32 - an estimate
See the whole card → 1 picture
282Not every one can eat without something dying
about 1996-2011 (age 18 to 32) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
POEMS NOT YET RELEASED
Tom's previously unpublished two-line pencil couplet Not every one can eat without something dying, on a loose-leaf sheet with a torn upper corner.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 32 - an estimate
See the whole card → 1 picture
283I painted my room sanitarium white
about 1996-2011 (age 18 to 32) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
POEMS NOT YET RELEASED
Tom's previously unpublished handwritten poem I painted my room sanitarium white, about coming home and answering the questions just right, on a spiral notebook sheet with a torn edge and folded corner.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 32 - an estimate
See the whole card → 1 picture
664As trees become naked
about 1996-2011 (age 18 to 32) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
POEMS NOT YET RELEASED
Tom's previously unpublished handwritten short lyric AS TREES BECOME NAKED, in black ink on lined notebook paper, about animals hiding, bears growing bashful and nights growing greedy as winter comes.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 32 - an estimate
See the whole card → 2 pictures
696I got nothing against you - kill or be killed
about 1996-2011 (age 18 to 32) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
POEMS NOT YET RELEASED
Tom's handwritten, never-published poem draft I GOT NOTHING AGAINST YOU - KILL OR BE KILLED, a meditation on war written in ink on both sides of a small torn notepad sheet, the back noting it was inspired by the film Saving Private Ryan.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 32 - an estimate
See the whole card → 3 pictures
735I must be strong, I'll see her next week
about 1996-2011 (age 18 to 32) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
POEMS NOT YET RELEASED
Tom's handwritten, never-published full poem I MUST BE STRONG, I'LL SEE HER NEXT WEEK, about missing someone, in small faint cursive on a sheet of lined notebook paper.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 32 - an estimate
See the whole card → 2 pictures
832Donnie knows about
about 1996-2011 (age 18 to 32) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
POEMS NOT YET RELEASED
Tom's handwritten, never-published short poem DONNIE KNOWS ABOUT ("Being bit by the dogs and scratched"), in red ink on a slip of white paper.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 32 - an estimate
See the whole card → 2 pictures
833Write down what you think
about 1996-2011 (age 18 to 32) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
POEMS NOT YET RELEASED
Tom's handwritten, never-published short poem WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU THINK ("But be careful when you sit down next to your drink"), on a torn sheet of lined notebook paper.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 32 - an estimate
See the whole card → 2 pictures
876Money lines the pocket
about 1996-2011 (age 18 to 32) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
POEMS NOT YET RELEASED
Tom's handwritten short poem "Money lines the pocket / But does not fill the heart," with the line "Daddy's a doctor but he's not home," in faint cursive on a torn piece of lined notebook paper; previously unpublished.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 32 - an estimate
See the whole card → 2 pictures
888I was the right woman born at the right time
about 1996-2011 (age 18 to 32) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
POEMS NOT YET RELEASED
Tom's handwritten two-line poem "I was the right woman born at the right time / I don't believe in astrology I don't even know my sign," written on a torn spiral-pad sheet of lined paper; previously unpublished.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 32 - an estimate
See the whole card → 2 pictures
889The day has come again
about 1996-2011 (age 18 to 32) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
POEMS NOT YET RELEASED
Tom's handwritten Father's Day poem "The day has come again / Father's day is time to spend / With little old daddy do," on a torn piece of lined loose-leaf paper; previously unpublished.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 32 - an estimate
See the whole card → 2 pictures
921And if I was a color
about 1996-2011 (age 18 to 32) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
POEMS NOT YET RELEASED
Tom's handwritten two-line lyric "And if I was a color / Then baby I'd be blue," in red ink in the middle of a sheet of lined notebook paper torn from a spiral; previously unpublished.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 32 - an estimate
See the whole card → 2 pictures
MADE IN 2003 OR LATER
These carry a first possible date (a print date, a date on the paper). They may be later.
964BROWNIES AND LOVE
July 2003 or later (age 24 or older) PROVED
POEMS NOT YET RELEASED
Tom's handwritten poem "I wrote her off and then she sent me a letter," eight lines about a heart that won't mend, written on the back of a printed July 2003 bar-and-grill music schedule flyer; previously unpublished.
Written on the back of a printed July 2003 music schedule, so July 2003 or later.
See the whole card → 3 pictures
MEMORABILIA FROM THIS STORY
Every card on this page is a real piece — 27 pieces.
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What the words mean: PROVED a date or a dated book proves it. BEST GUESS our best reading, not yet proved. TOM SAID Tom's own word. LIKELY strong clues, not yet proved. NOT PROVED an estimate from the pieces around it. NOT SURE the sources disagree. No word: the card gives none yet. "About 1996-2002" means somewhere in those years; the piece is shown once, in the middle year.