Listen Up Philip Page #9

no small amount of satisfaction.

'Philip and Yvette were only about

three years apart in age.'

'Prior to his arrival and introduction,

'Yvette had decided to act

unkind towards him,

'and was able to convince

several other faculty members

'that, in fact, a novelist

with no teaching experience

'did not belong among their ranks,

'a cunning move that created

an environment of tension and hostility

'before Philip appeared

for what became an increasingly painful,

'and humiliating orientation process.

'The result of her scheming was immediate

and total isolation for Philip,

'who routinely found himself

with nothing more to do

'than retreat to his small,

sad apartment every night,

'where he made a concerted effort

to devote himself fully to his writing,

'and to doing as good a job teaching

as possible.'

I wonder what type of style we should

be working on for these exercises.

I'm not sure I can answer that question.

In fact, I'm certain I cannot.

I don't have a very academic relationship

with form or style.

So... what is your advice?

The best thing I can offer is what I do,

which is to kinda goof around

until you find what works.

Besides, in my experience,

more than half of you

will probably abandon writing,

creative or the other kind,

very shortly after graduating.

If you haven't already.

I'm thinking of a few of you specifically

when I say that last part.

Hey, hey.

Are you at all qualified to be teachin'?

I never use the word "teach".

I always say "instruct".

Nice try.

You've made it a point

to turn others against me,

and I don't understand why.

I've not.

You have.

And as a result, I'm sad and alone...

I don't like it here.

- Hello.

- Hi.

I read Obidant. I really liked it.

- I didn't realise it had come out already.

- About two weeks ago.

Huh.

Listen, it's nothing personal, but...

I'm really trying to do my best up here,

and part of that means

not getting involved with anybody

in, er... say, a human way.

So if you'd like, you could

come visit me at my office.

This is not my office.

Please don't act like somebody

who doesn't know how to handle themselves.

I don't know what you mean.

Act as though you attend these things

all the time.

How?

Feel like you don't want to be here.

Like me.

See how little I wanna be here?

But I very much want to be here.

Oh, Jonathan.

Are you proud of me?

In what way?

Never mind.

You seem to have

a decent situation here.

- This place is just fine.

- Yeah.

You do not need to look away

every time you see me.

Was it your father

I saw you with earlier?

He's my uncle. Mon oncle. Like the film.

You look sad with him.

I don't think you're saying

what you think you are.

I meant to say...

When with him, it makes you look

as though you are not happy.

Oh. I guess that's pretty much

what you said the first time.

Why is this?

Your own family makes you unhappy?

I don't feel comfortable

talking to you like this.

- Why?

- Because we don't like each other.

Or you don't like me.

It's not like that. I mean...

OK, it's true that I am upset that

I study for years to obtain

a teaching degree, and you...

You just publish two slim novels

and get a job many would murder for.

I, however, think it is possible

we could be friendly together.

You encouraged the faculty

to turn on me.

Nobody likes me here.

Nobody ever talks to me.

We like it here.

We have family and community.

And you've just come here

with your new novel

and turned them against yourself

with your arrogance and ego.

You're to blame nobody

but yourself for these things.

I don't know how to process that.

I'm not sure how quickly

I can absolve you of wrongdoing

and shoulder the blame myself.

I'd like to go elsewhere and talk.

Speak with you more.

Just not standing here, outside.

OK.

Just not back in there.

Hello.

I thought it best if my students

don't ever see me out of class.

So, what do you do at night?

I stay home, I read, and I think.

It'll make my life harder

if people see me differently.

Does that make sense?

And you only want to be thought of

as a talented writer

and not as a real person?

Hmm, yeah.

Yeah. That's probably about right.

In fact, that's exactly right.

Thank you.

All right.

Be a good boy. Give me a call, OK?

Yeah.

I never had a weekend on campus

where I went to school.

I can't really quite adjust.

Last night your uncle and then me...

It's your first real conversation

since you arrived here?

Conversation that took place on or around

campus and was substantial? Yes.

Wow. You must be really lonely.

Can't see your eyes in that hat.

That's better. Where are you going?

- Are your office hours over?

- For the time being.

Also they're for people in classes I teach.

That's not you, is it?

- No, but I was hoping...

- No, it's urgent.

So, today we'll be learning

about the Romantic period,

and the impact of the French Revolution,

such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and...

Erm... William Godwin and...

Erm... did anyone read it?

Er... we'll be also talking about the...

romantic themes.

Sorry, the cult of sensibility,

emphasising...

Sorry, what were we talking about?

Well, this is the most amount of visitors

I've ever seen during a single session.

And on a Friday, no less.

What a world.

One second.

Come right in.

When I was in school,

I never went to these things,

- so I tend to forget about them.

- That's OK.

I was hoping we could discuss my story.

Right. Which I read.

I think the perspective was very clear.

Erm... and, also, I should say that...

What was the title of it again?

I'll be honest.

That's not the main reason I'm here.

Thank God, because honestly,

I don't even think I've read yours yet.

Or any of them, for that matter,

so don't be offended.

I was hoping you could provide me with

a letter of recommendation

for an internship I'm pursuing

at Paragon Press.

- OK.

- Is that not possible?

Look, I'll say this,

and then we can proceed accordingly.

Number one, internships are a waste

of time, so you shouldn't bother.

Two, that company sucks,

and you wouldn't gain

any worthwhile experience there.

And three, I don't actually think

that I know you very well.

Or at all, now that I think about it.

So, I wouldn't be the best person

to sing your praises.

Where does that leave us

on the whole letter of recommendation tip?

I think they can be somewhat generic.

It's kind of a formality anyway.

Nah.

Does your publisher have

an internship programme?

To be honest with you, I have no idea.

I'm not thinking about this right now.

Here's a piece of paper

with some staples in it.

Wish I could be of more help.

'The semester drew to a close,

'and an impending sense of melancholy

and longing developed within Philip,

'as the promise of facing Ashley again

'became less of an abstraction

and more of a looming certainty.

'Anticipating this, and unable

to process his feelings verbally,

'Philip wrote and mailed her a letter,

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