I met Melanie at Vermont College in Montpelier in 1986. She was my advisor and my writing professor. She quickly became a beloved friend and mentor. We stayed in touch over the years. I last saw her in 2017 when I visited her and Leslie in Brooklyn.
Melanie was the first person to recognize my writing ability. She encouraged me to follow my writing, to use it as a tool for self-understanding, to connect with others. To publish. Eventually to write music. Her love and support over the years have been an anchor to me; we shared dog walks, outrage, humor…. She was an enormous comfort to me when I decided to go forward with an unplanned pregnancy and became a cheerleader for what a great mom she believed I’d be.
The world is a better, stronger, smarter, more expansive and enlightened home for us all for her having lived in it.
—Patti Casey