Liberal Arts Page #4

"the opera deals

with the struggle

"between sacred

and profane love,

"which is arguably

the only struggle there is.

"The other day,

I was crossing the street,

"lost in my head

about something,

"a not uncommon state

of affairs.

"I was listening

to the overture,

"and as the music began

to swell,

"I suddenly realized that I had

hands and legs and a torso

"and that I was surrounded

by people and cars.

"It's hard to explain

exactly what happened.

"But I felt in that moment

that the divine,

"however we may choose

to define such a thing,

"surely dwells as much

in the concrete and taxicabs

"as it does in the rivers,

lakes, and mountains.

"Grace, I realized, is neither

time-nor place-dependent.

"All we need

is the right soundtrack.

"I suppose this new infusion

of music in my life is,

"at the very least,

making me reconsider

my hostility

to dead, white males."

"And I've you to thank

for that.

"How's things, by the way?

Your friend, Jesse Fisher."

"Jesse, things is good.

"So happy

you're loving the music.

"I felt

my whole life got an upgrade

"when I took that class.

"The thing that floors me most

"is that human beings wrote

that music.

"Are people writing music

like that nowadays?

"If they are,

I don't know about it.

"I hope you've fallen in love

with the piece

"from Cosi fan tutte.

"I find that when I listen

to it, for some reason,

"everyone I see becomes

instantly more attractive.

Please experiment with it

and get back to me."

Soave

Sia il vento

Tranquilla

Sia I'onda

Ed ogni

Elemento

Benigno

"Elizabeth, you were right

about the Mozart piece.

"It somehow made everyone

in New York look like

"a viable romantic partner.

"I can't escape it any longer.

"I think I like opera.

"You are never to tell anyone

this, ever.

Seriously."

"Your opera secret

is safe with me.

"I've been relistening

to the music

"after each of your letters.

"I like hearing your take

and then revisiting them.

"And even though Pennsylvania

stands between us,

"knowing we're hearing

the same sounds

"makes me feel

you are not all that far away.

"If I haven't been clear

about this, I miss you.

"Hmm, don't really know why.

"I barely know you.

"By the way,

handwritten letters?

"Greatest thing in the world.

Keep them coming."

"You asked why music like this

isn't being written today.

"I wonder if these composers

were expressing things musically

that are too large for

our current psychic state..."

"Anyway, all is fine here.

College continues

colleging along..."

"Massenet'sMeditation,

for instance,

"and I worry

that my nervous system

is ill-equipped to contain

such immensity of feeling."

"I bet if we went here

at the same time,

we'd have been great friends."

"Will this music be

the death of me?

"If so, you'll have blood

on your hands, Elizabeth.

Can you deal with that?"

"Jesse, as much as I love

these letters,

"I'd like to see you again.

"The sooner, the better.

"So come back here and see me.

"The dudes here continue to be

18 to 22 years old,

"and they continue

to act their age.

"I'd like a gentleman caller,

and I'd like him to be you.

Ever yours, Zibby."

"Dear Elizabeth, I've decided

to take you up on your offer.

"I'll be getting in on the 14th

and staying at the inn,

but I will be available

for walks, strolls, saunters,

"ambles, and promenades.

"Looking forward to it.

Jesse Fisher."

Hey.

So, Bob, um,

I've been asking myself

a lot of tough questions lately.

Everybody knows I made

a whole stink

about leaving this place,

you know, how it's time...

How if you'd look back,

you'd turn into a pillar

of salt.

Yeah, all that.

That's...

I think I may have spoken

too soon.

I think-I think I still got

a little gas in the tank is all.

I just...

Well, Peter, you have no

bigger fan around here than me.

Thank you.

When you announced your plans,

we were all sad to see you go,

but you insisted

that it was time.

Right, which I thought it was.

We hired someone,

young guy out of UVA.

Very impressive candidate.

He was our first choice,

actually.

We didn't think

we would get him, but we did.

You said you wanted

nothing to do with the search.

Right, right.

No, I...

I just...

I just didn't think

it would move so fast.

Well, there was unanimous

enthusiasm for the candidate,

so things just moved along

faster than normal.

Bob.

Give me this one.

Peter, we can't.

The department has spent

thousands of dollars

on this search.

He's turned down other offers.

You know what goes into

this sort of thing.

I hired you, Bob.

You don't have to tell me

how this w...

And let me tell you,

there was not unanimous

enthusiasm for you back then.

It took a lot of arm-twisting

on my part

to get people to come around.

And now, 20 years later,

the only reason

that you're the chairman

of this goddamn department

is 'cause I loathe politics!

And you, for reasons

which I cannot fathom, do not.

In fact, you seem to have

a real taste for it.

Wow.

I'm asking...

I'm asking a favor.

Listen.

Just give me this one, Bob,

okay?

I need three more years.

I'm sorry.

There's nothing I can do.

Hey.

Hi.

Oh, hey.

Jesse, you remember Vanessa,

right?

- Uh, yeah, hi.

- You're back.

Yeah.

So I should...

uh, yeah, I got some stuff

to do.

So this is your room.

Yeah.

Fancy, huh?

Yeah.

Forgot how small these are.

Good training

for living in New York.

So are you gonna see

Professor Hoberg

while you're here?

You know, probably not.

Um...

and, you know, if you-

if you run into him,

maybe don't mention

that I'm here.

- Okay.

- Okay.

Do you want to sit?

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So I should tell you,

I feel a little weird

about being here.

Why?

Don't.

Well, I don't know

if you know this,

but, uh, I'm a few years older

than you.

You are?

Just a few, yeah,

and I'm not necessarily

saying...

I don't want to get

ahead of myself here.

It's just...

Oh, wait, sorry.

You-did you think this was,

like, a romantic thing?

Just kidding.

Oh, my...

Come here.

Try not to overthink things,

okay?

You're talking

to the wrong guy.

Well, look.

We connect really well,

don't you think?

We do, yeah.

I just can't figure out

if it's because you're advanced

or because I'm stunted.

It's because I'm advanced.

Maybe.

But I'm also a little stunted.

Look, I want to take things

slowly, okay?

Yeah, okay.

Me too.

Me too.

But I would like to kiss you

on your forehead.

Can I kiss you on your forehead?

Say yes.

Yes.

And your chin?

May I kiss your chin?

Sorry.

Hi, sorry.

Just need to grab something.

Roommates.

Can we-are you hungry?

I could eat.

Yeah?

Maybe we could go into town

and grab something?

That'll take too long.

I have class at 2:00.

Oh.

But I know a place that's good

and even closer.

Hey, Dean.

You get a job here?

I wish.

Hey, I seem to have lost

my friend.

You mind if I...

What are you working on?

Yeah, it's this...

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