Love and Death (1983-95)

By the 1980s, Merrill’s and Jackson’s second home away from Stonington had shifted fully from Athens, Greece to Key West, Florida. Though Jackson became more and more withdrawn, Merrill never stopped loving and supporting him. In 1982, Merrill began a May-December romance with actor Peter Hooten, who would be with him off-and-on for the remainder of Merrill’s life. The AIDS epidemic soon took its toll on Merrill and some of his closest friends, such as David Kalstone and Tony Parigory. Merrill himself found out he was HIV positive in 1986, but kept the information a closely-kept secret, with a few exceptions. In 1986 he published a collection of essays, and in 1993, a memoir—his first non-poetry books in over twenty years. Merrill died of a heart attack in Tuscon, AZ on February 6, 1995. His last book of poems, A Scattering of Salts, was published a month later. Some highlights from this section include:

• A letter from Merrill to Hooten while Hooten was in the room sleeping.
• Journal entry capturing the moment Merrill learned of his HIV-positive diagnosis.
• Drafts from some of his most revered post-Sandover poems.
• Script for the stage adaptation, An Evening at Sandover. 
• Video clips of Merrill reading his work and recounting his relationship with the Modern Literature Collection, at Washington University during a symposium on campus, just three months before his death.
• Photos of Richard Wilbur, Peter Hooten, Jim Boatwright, and Peter Tourville.
• Flyer and video clip from Merrill’s puppet play, The Image Maker.
• Pages from "Volcanic Holiday," an artist book/chapbook featuring color etchings by Dorthea Tanning.
• Merrill's bronzed death mask.