Author: Dr. Hare

Dear Jens,

I’m writing from Davos. It is such a coincidence that you are getting in touch right now, as I was contemplating your progress right in what you probably consider your ‘Ur-terrain’. I’m writing in haste, I’m here for some meetings and have to get to a dinner. So here’s what is on my mind. In the summer, there will be a conference on personality psychology right at Lake Geneva. I was thinking of submitting a case study that engages with you. You would have to give permission for this. I was hoping that some of my colleagues here in the region would find it interesting to think about someone from abroad whose work is so closely connected to the Alps. What do you think? Needless to say, and to my regret, we cannot schedule an appointment quite yet, for I have extended my stay.

Dr. Hare

Dear Dr. Hare,

happy New Year! I have to get straight to the point. Today the thought came up that I may move, at least for part of the year, to Geneva. Now I don’t know what to say: I have a splitting headache from the ‘polar vortex’ that reached Manhattan, and am completely confused by the extent to which the idea of eloping to Geneva speaks to me. I visited the Mont Blanc area several times but somehow never saw the snow-capped mountain itself. Obviously it must be around the corner from Geneva. Some people say the city is a boring place for UN-administrators, but they must be wrong. I’m upset and delighted at the same time, could this be a sortie from my current life? You see, I’m already practicing French: sortie, itinéraire de sauvetage, route royale! I’m a complete ignoramus as far as French is concerned, but some essential phrases are easily glanced from the web, and I keep clicking the little loudspeaker symbol to hear what it should sound like. Some bits seem really easy, like chocolat. Another great phrase: Ne me dérangez pas je suis profondément occupé. I almost feel good to go. When I don’t get what people say, I gather, I shall have to say je suis désolé, an essential phrase also for this very letter. I am more than sorry for not having kept in touch, let alone scheduled appointments, for a while. Any chance you would be free very soon?

Amitiés,
Jens

Dear Jens,

I’m looking forward to the prints. I had thought about asking you for a while, but it didn’t seem like the right thing for me to bring up, in particular with you never really accepting your role quite as you should — it seemed and it still seems that I’m running a risk here, making our acquaintance less and less about the appointments at my office.

Your phrase ‘good gloomy’ strikes me as awfully true, perhaps too true, because it’s about more than the images I selected. I wonder whether this is how you aim to see yourself? I’m never sure whether you would even like to see the world in more cheerful ways than you do. Perhaps all you are hoping to gain from our conversations is the confirmation that you are gloomy in a good way, and should really stay as you are. Beware, I don’t like the idea of being happy with how one is, even if there really was a darkness that isn’t dark, or a gloominess that’s really charming.

Do I have reason to believe that you will keep your appointments when there’s something at my office you want to see, namely your very own images?

Take good care of yourself, as always,

Dr. Hare