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My father...

During his last days, demanded

that some philosophy books

be placed on the locker beside his bed.

My father's taught philosophy

as a profession

and read philosophy for pleasure

and I wrote only novels.

He had a right to think that I inhabited

a space filled with banality,

filled with gross inventions,

foolish plot lines.

The next day I went

to my fathers old apartment

and rummaged through the books

in his study.

I found his old copy

of the Critique of Pure Reason

with many notes in the margin

and his thumb-nailed edition

of Platos Symposium.

I found a fat volume of Hegel

and an untouched edition

of Derek Parfits On What Matters.

Put them in a pile on the locker

while he was sleeping.

Once when my father opened his eyes

I showed him the Parfit

which was at the top of the pile

and I pronounced the title in

the best English accent I could manage.

On What Matters.

It would be nice to say that he smiled

but he did not smile.

Instead he spoke:

Heinrich

Heinrich there are only two things

that matter he said

there is the thing you did

that you regret

the thing that cannot be undone

and then there is the thing

that you did not do

that you should have done

that you regret too

but its too late now.

Its easy to say that these things

do not matter because theyre over

but they do.

They are in fact what matters.

The things in between

do not matter at all.

Is that a quote from a book?

I asked him.

Suddenly his voice became almost gentle

his tone filled with regret as he said

No

and then repeated the word

No

on a sigh.

It would be nice to say that

he then turned over died and that No

was his last word but it wasn't.

He lived for 6 or 7 weeks more.

Is that thunder?

In those last weeks my fathers words

about what matters hit home.

I almost asked the doctor

if he too indeed if all of us

if the nurses and the other patients

if the porters and the other visitors

if the night cleaners

and the taxi drivers outside

if we all had done

one thing in our lives

that we knew was wrong

and if we all had one thing

we did not do in our lives

which we regretted.

And if these two things became

the story of our lives

the story of what matter what matters

more than anything else matter

or ever will matter.

When my father spoke about what matters

an image came to me

and remains with me.

Its an image of two women

one whom I caused harm

and the other whom I failed.

Whom I should not have failed

who I should be with now

if Id been wiser then.

Whom I wonder about still.

Thank you so much Max for giving us

despite your jetlag

a taste of The Hunter and the Hunted.

- Thank you!

There will be a longer reading

at the public library tomorrow.

Congratulations!

Our publicist has all the details.

It was so great.

So this is my friend Julia.

- Hi Julia. - Hello Max!

I really really enjoyed your reading.

- Thank you.

So youre Claras guy.

You left her alone all winter

in New York and you werent worried?

We cant wait.

- The performance was profound.

Hm?

- The performance was profound.

Can we go home?

Sure.

I cant believe it.

Max!

Walter!

Oh! So nice to see you again.

It said in the papers

that you've come to make a presentation.

Yeah tomorrow at the public library.

Your mom would be proud of you.

Who is this charming creature?

This is my wife Clara. This is Walter.

- Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

Will you come to the reading?

- No no no... tomorrow Im sorry...

I've a friend holding a preview

and I promised to go.

Would you care to come with me?

No but I... I have the reading.

Yes I know I know.

I'm not deaf

despite my years. So...

Another book of yours?

Yes a novel.

Another fiction?

Truth.

Its so good to see you

its been too long.

Im sure it will be a big success.

Is this the first time you've been back

after so long?

Yes it is

or I would have been in touch.

I would love to arrange a dinner for you

and a few friends.

Thank you.

- You call me?

I will.

Goodnight.

YouIl call me?

- I will.

How do you know that guy?

Hes an old friend.

He financed my studied.

He financed a lot of other things too.

Hes the one

who made the big donation to the Met.

There was a dinner for him

and he didnt turn up.

Someone told me he collected

unbelievable things.

He looks like the kind of guy

who collects dead bodies.

Goodnight. - Bye.

- Goodnight. - Bye.

So this was Walter.

I knew it the minute I saw him.

Every bit the way you described him.

Was he in the room when I read?

Not that I saw.

Maybe somewhere in the back.

He gives me the creeps.

Hes a very gifted man.

It was strange seeing him.

Im so happy youre finally here.

Sometimes on the phone

I just couldnt say that all I wanted

was to get home to you.

I missed you so much

I started to hate you.

I was worried too.

I panicked a few times.

But I knew where you were

and that was the main thing.

How do you know all those people?

Thats part of my job:

marketing advertising...

it's all got to do with them.

And even little interns from Germany

get to meet writers.

You looked fantastic.

Did I?

- Yes you did.

Yes.

I love you. You know that.

Two-fifty?

Twice as much as last time.

So we got you a phone

and I programmed some numbers in it

as you'll see...

Thank you.

- Yeah. Hello?

Hello.

OK... so...

A lot of demands for interviews...

After a short press release.

Keep it to a minimum.

You being here

will make a lot of a difference.

IIl do my best.

Dont give my number to anyone.

What about personal calls?

Friends and family?

No I dont have any.

Well theres Mr. Walter.

Yeah. Hes the exception.

Could you call him

and invite him to the reading.

I know he wont come

but ask him for Rebeccas number.

Rebecca?

Yeah heIl know.

Its an old friend I want to invite.

Is Clara coming down?

There she is.

Good morning Lindsey.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

How are you?

- Good! How are you? - Thank you.

He loves your work.

...after this message,

we'll be talking with

the Scandinavian author Max Zorn.

Mr. Zorn.

How did you know?

Well I was told to look for a gentleman

with the distinction

of a European antique dealer.

Right this way.

Now might be a good moment

to call Walter.

Mr. Zorn as an intellectual

a poet a playwright

a novelist living in Berlin

let me ask you

do you believe that Europe will collapse

as soon as many commentators

are suggesting?

Europe is a is a culture

before its an economy

and thats something the Americans

have problems understanding.

Maybe because its a complex culture.

Our stories are anti-heroic.

If we see someone in power

or a political leader we laugh

because self-deprecation

is our first gear.

Our stories are filled

with idiots and fools

and chancers and losers.

Pinocchios and Don Quixotes.

The Emperor without clothes

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