Abstract

Written in the days immediately following the death of Jacques Derrida on 9 October 2004, this essay attempts to bear witness tothe memory of Jacques Derrida as a writer and thinker and, even more personally, a mentor and friend. Written out of gratitude and affection, but also out of an almost overwhelming emotion, the essay is offered here, not without trepidation, in the hope that, in some small measure, the author’s emotion, affection, and genuine gratitude for the life and work of Jacques Derrida may be shared.