Dear Jacob,

It's funny that I am writing you a letter, it feels strangely like one of the letters I used to write to you in workshop. And I guess if this is to be some sort of response, I am writing to tell you some of the things I wish I could have told you in workshop. I so wish I could have said them to you while you were with us…

Your stories always made me laugh—they reminded me that it's possible to talk about scary things with a touch of humor, a wit that was so uniquely your own. I have never met anyone so simultaneously brilliant and hilarious. Your ability to delve into everyone else's work was inspiring—you always could say so elegantly and clearly what I struggled to articulate. I would stay silent and watch you speak, totally in awe. I took your advice to heart, and felt that you were an ally—as an artist, as a friend. I remember the way you would stand outside Dodge, smoking cigarettes or chatting on your cell phone with that headpiece that made it look like you were talking to yourself—always smiling, always making others laugh uncontrollably.

Your presence in my life was a gift. A brief but rich encounter. It will mark my writing forever, and you will be deeply missed.

Your friend,

Shivani