bob and i were saying that now that we are both graduating, daniel heins and eric song are going to be the new nohrnberg stars. "damn" says bob. "we're cooler though," say i. the thing about teachers, i always think, is that even the very best students are merely put away in a teacher's mental hall of fame. when nohrnberg rattles off lists of his former students who have become literary stars now, i always worry whether one day i'll be one of them too. we took nohrnberg to lunch, but i wasn't making much contribution or even paying particular attention to the conversation though. (we did find out that galen rowell was nohrnberg's classmate) i was thinking all the time of how this is the last time we'll ever be together again - all three of us, here in charlottesville. nohrnberg said that i should think of charlottesville as a place i can always come back to, though i don't have to. (nohrnberg has been doing all he can to persuade me not to come back.) of course, if i got into harvard that would solve the problem. bob can come down from providence easily, and the nohrnbergs would be up to see peter regularly, and might even move to boston when nohrnberg retires. but who's to say where i'll get into? so there i was after lunch bawling my eyes out while bob kept saying "it's alright, you'll see us again" and "there's email" i stamp and say it's not the same thing and nohrnberg said "well nothing's ever the same." very heraclitean but not a comfort!!! when i finally stopped nohrnberg thought we should quit while we're ahead (i.e. let's get out of here before she starts crying again.) once he'd turned his back i started again, much more violently, i think it was just watching him walk away that really broke my heart. afterwards in the car i kept on sobbing like a complete idiot, which i am sure embarrassed bob to no end but i just couldn't shut up. even now that i'm writing this i'm starting to cry again. i hate the idea that i won't see nohrnberg again - at least not for a very long time. i wish i did more for him.