Envoiles: Post It

That the relationship between J. Hillis Miller and Jacques Der-rida occupies a unique place in the landscape of contemporary criticism is no secret. They have played as well a significant role in my intellectual building, having encountered them some thirty years ago. I have written about that in my “Journey With J on the Jour J,” an introduction to Derrida’s essay “Justices” on J. Hillis Miller, and Miller’s “Isabelle’s Kiss” published in Criti-cal Inquiry in 2005. There, I have likened these two essays to letters on the way “to further destinations of as yet uncharted parts. Like letters, sealed with a kiss.”1 Derrida’s essay “‘Justices’” includes a description of the scene in which he receives a let-ter from Miller (“Hillis” when referring to the film character, “J. Hillis Miller” or “Miller” when referring to Miller as author in further text), regarding the real name behind the “J” which has received extensive treatment in my film The First Sail: J. Hillis Miller.