Letter from Chris Pope

Dear Jack,

Greetings from the "enfant terrible" ("problem child" in French) of the Jack Howard research family! For the sake of the blog audience -- I was your grad student from 1984 to 1993, then your post-doc until 1997. I know this is a little late (surprise, surprise!), but at least I have a good first draft for you to look at. (Something had been telling me since late August to get up with you. Now I know why.)

You and your whole family have been in my thoughts and prayers near-continuously since I found out late Wednesday night about the new health conditions besetting your brain, a combination of the cancer, a closed head injury (the subdural hematoma), and
intermittent inflammation. It's taken a few days for me to get past my sadness and shock at this turn of events for you, which is truly absurd, especially in the literal sense of not being able to be understood by reason alone. If ever there was somebody who didn't deserve it.... Fortunately, you and your family have been blessed with an astonishing amount of faith in Divine providence and justice.

You have made possible nearly all the success I have had as a professional. You stuck by me and believed in me and my potential through a long string of personal obstacles while I was there at MIT, especially during my first few years as a graduate student. You also kept me afloat for over four years as a post-doc, and wrote many orders of magnitude of letters of recommendation for me while I became the Harold Stassen of faculty candidates, applying year
after year with little luck. It was also through your connections that my next two post-doc positions were possible.

You were a sterling example of greatness, which I've heard defined as the combination of expertise and humanity, combined with humility, the true kind, that of being aware of who you were -- no more, no less. You neither hid your greatness nor flaunted it. What you expected of me was simple: the best I was capable of.

Your wise counsel also recently extended to your advice to apply for disability six years ago, when my health failed me, in large part due to Lyme disease. (You might be pleased to know that my recovery has progressed to the point where I am applying for professional positions again. I'll write more privately about that and ideas for you and Carolyn.) Accepting my limitations at that time was difficult indeed. I am distressed to find you in even more challenging condition than I was then, but heartened to hear that you are being attended to by such excellent medical practitioners. You also have the rare blessing of a loving family. And thanks to Jonathan for his awareness which led to your getting treatment.

It's disturbing but not surprising to hear of the medical blunders. I'm reminded of "The Hospital", a George C. Scott movie in which a hospital's executives are killed off by having them become patients at their own facility. Fortunately, Carolyn is a capable and determined advocate, so I'm not worried about such misfortunes befalling you. Also, I'm sure you'll get many more of those God-scheduled "coincidences" when needed.

I have more than a little confidence in your ability to overcome. I agree with Greg McRae: the world still needs your talents and insights... still needs you. When I first heard the news, I thought of the following from the New Testament (2 Timothy 4:7-8): "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing." But don't get fitted for your crown just yet. I'm sure you have a few more battles to win, laps to run, prayers to have answered... In'sh'allah (if it be God's will), and I personally hope that it is in the Divine plan.

Wishing you a complete recovery, and all the brightest blessings....

Chris Pope