Dearest Jules,

I’m so glad you liked my idea of corresponding between our 2 islands concerning the issues of the day as seen from these totally, wildly, different perspectives! I am going to try very hard not to try to be “writerly” as I’ll sound stuffy and pretentious, so forgive me if I just go for “free flow” and no doubt your great experience as a writer can be used to hack off all the unnecessary appendages in my prose.

I passed you the info about the Ward Bennet biography for this very reason, that he seemed to be an early pioneer in the art of minimalism and purity of purpose. As I said to you, I always loved that wonderful quote from Antoine de Saint Exupéry which we had beside the bathroom mirror in France for years – “La perfection est atteinte, non pas lorsqu’il n’y a rien à ajouter, mais lorsqu’il n’y a rien à retirer” – i.e. “perfection is attained not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to pare away”.

In checking that quote I came upon another from St. Exupéry which I love – “Here is my secret, it is very simple. It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye”. This is from his book “Le Petit Prince”.

So, having already lunged off into a digression, back to the point in hand – Island to Island!! Fun facts abound:

I checked, yes Manhattan really is an island, not a peninsula (phew). It is bounded by the Hudson River on the west side, the Upper Bay and Lower Bay on the south end, heading out to sea, the East River on the east, and the Harlem river to the north-east, which zig-zags between Harlem and the Bronx, effectively separating the island from mainland USA.

Manhattan has a surface of 22,83 square miles, with 1,643,734 residents (71,999 per sq mile). This swells to over 3,9 million in the working day (170,000 people per sq mile). No wonder I feel relief when I come out of the Lincoln Tunnel at the end of the day and get back to my apartment in the quiet, tree-lined streets of Weehawken. As a friend asked me after 6 months of being here “have you experienced the “Weehawken Sigh” yet? I looked at her quizzically for a moment then the light went on in my head, and I said “oh, you mean that moment when you step down out of the bus – YES”

This Island to Island idea came bumbling along into my head when I realized that you were thinking of buying a wee cottage on Tiree. I just thought how funny, we’ll both be on islands, which quite possibly are very similar in size hahaha. Yes, bingo! I checked it out, it’s such fun!

Tiree has a surface of 30,25 square miles, with 653 residents – fabulous! Density 22 people per sq mile full time. I guess that leaps skyward in summer to 30 or 40? 

I think we can have a lot of fun with this idea! That’s the whole point anyway, to make a few observations on the vast silliness of life (how not to with Carrothead in power, seriously) and have a bit of a laugh on the way. Did you see that cartoon of The Donald, where he stamps his feet and says “stop calling me Orange, Impeach!”

Massive congratulations on your impending purchase of Red Roofs on Tiree. I can’t wait to come over, paintbrushes and other necessary kit in hand. 

Masses of love, Jamie