herbert tucker is very sweet. i do not know him too well, granted - there is something about his decorous, measured graciousness that subdues all of my bubbly instincts - i never feel like i can throw my arms around him the way i could with charles vandersee, or even joke with him. i like him very much but his "niceness" is not a warm affability; rather, something akin to what, in arthurian romances, would be described as being "ful curteys". but we have had lunch together a few times, and we enjoyed cees nooteboom's the following story, one of my absolute favourite books, so he was no stranger. he had been away all last semester in london, teaching in the "uva in london" program, so i hadn't been in contact with him, and rather thought he might not remember me too well anymore.

herbert tucker had walked past me at the bus stop today while the rain was beginning to come down and had slowed his steps to say "i never thought you would be without your umbrella." i had laughed, and, because it did not make sense for either of us to be carrying on a conversation in the rain, said, goodbye professor tucker, and he went on his way. about 3 minutes later, there he was, coming back down the road. there is something i never told you, he said. when we were in london, we made two trips to the continent. the first was to amsterdam...(oh! i exclaimed. nooteboom!) yes, nooteboom, he smiled, and my second trip was to - he fairly twinkled - lisbon! (i won't go into what amsterdam and lisbon has to do with nooteboom now - this is all in the book) i know he really enjoyed the book, but it was very good of him to have thought of nooteboom in immediate connection, and to remember me for it, and especially sweet of him to have come back to tell me this instead of writing me an email.