E-mail

[argyle_princess]

To: Temperance Brennan <tbrennan@jeffersonian.gov>
From: Hannah Griffith <hannahgriffith@neptunehigh.org>
Subj: Liked Your Book

Dear Dr. Brennan,

I found this address on the Jeffersonian's website, and I really hope it's okay to be writing to you at it. My name is Hannah Griffith, I'm a junior at Neptune High, and I just finished reading your book and I just wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed reading it. Kathy Reichs was just an incredibly cool character, and the forensic anthropology stuff was interesting.

Is it all right to ask you what advice you'd have for a sixteen-year-old girl who'd like to learn more about forensic anthropology? I'll completely understand if you're way too busy to answer fan e-mails from random high school students, but I figured it didn't hurt to ask.

Anyway, the book was great and I'm already looking forward to your next one.

Sincerely,
Hannah Griffith

Comments

[argyle_princess]

To: Temperance Brennan <tbrennan@jeffersonian.gov>
From: Hannah Griffith <hannahgriffith@neptune.org>
Subj: College

Dear Dr. Brennan,

Trust me. Some of the people at my school are just plain freaks, and not the interesting misunderstood kind, either.

As for colleges, no, I haven't really settled on places to actually apply. Until last year I'd have told you there was no way I was going to leave California, but now I'm thinking far from Neptune is not necessarily a bad thing. I haven't really hand a chance to look into what schools have highly ranked/rated anthropology programs. What would you recommend, if anything? (One thing I do know is that I want to go somewhere it's relatively easy to do a semester in France at some point.)

Hannah

[dr_temperance]

To: Hannah Griffith <hannahgriffith@neptunehigh.org>
From: Temperance Brennan <tbrennan@jeffersonian.gov>
Subj: RE: College

Dear Hannah,

As much as I would like to be able to say that all "freaks" are misunderstood, and have intrinsic depth and meaningful insights, I would be lying. Some people are just freakish without any redeeming qualities.

Life does vastly improve after high school. It's been scientifically proven.

As for college, I got my degree at Northwestern. Climatically speaking, it might be a bit of a shock coming from California, but they have an extremely good program.

T. Brennan

[argyle_princess]

To: Temperance Brennan <tbrennan@jeffersonian.gov>
From: Hannah Griffith <hannahgriffith@neptunehigh.org>
Subj: RE: College

Dear Dr. Brennan,

I hear that about high school. Of course, I also hear that these are the best years of my life, which I really hope isn't true. For one thing, who wants the best years of their life to be over when they're 18? And for another, the people who tell me this are usually the sort of loser who's still wearing a letter jacket and a high school ring and remembering his glory days on the basketball team (or cheerleading squad) into his late twenties. And I so don't want to be that person.

I know I should say climate doesn't matter so much so long as it's a good school, but after spenting part of what was supposedly spring in Vermont last year, I'm really not sure I'm up for freezing through four winters. On the other hand, there are an annoying number of good schools in cold places, which seems odd planning to me. Maybe the idea is that it's too cold to do anything but stay in and study?

I'll look into Northwestern, though.

Hannah

[dr_temperance]

To: Hannah Griffith <hannahgriffith@neptunehigh.org>
From: Temperance Brennan <tbrennan@jeffersonian.gov>
Subj: RE: College

Dear Hannah,

I can say without hesitation that high school comprised the worst years of my life. Your assessment of those people who think of it as the best of times is very accurate. They've never progressed.

If you decide you want to contact Northwestern, let me know. I can probably give you the names of some good people to talk to in the sciences department.

T. Brennan

[argyle_princess]

To: Temperance Brennan <tbrennan@jeffersonian.gov>
From: Hannah Griffith <hannahgriffith@neptunehigh.org>
Subj: High School

Dear Dr. Brennan,

Today, at Neptune High, we had streakers in the middle of lunch. Always do around this time of year -- the rumor is that it's a secret society for the brightest and best, and this is part of the initiation stuff. I'm not sure I buy it. I mean, there may well be a secret society that THINKS it's the brightest and best, but it would all be guys (so, you know, kinda lets most of the brightest and best out right there), and if they really were that smart, you'd think they could come up with something to do other than streak through lunch.

All of which is a long-winded way to say I kind of can't wait to graduate. Though this sort of stuff probably goes on in college, too, doesn't it?

I don't know that I'm ready to contact Northwestern just yet, but if I decide to, I'm definitely going to take you up on that. Thanks!

Hannah

[dr_temperance]

To: Hannah Griffith <hannahgriffith@neptunehigh.org>
From: Temperance Brennan <tbrennan@jeffersonian.gov>
Subj: RE: High School

Dear Hannah,

It's quite ironic when a society brands itself as 'secret' and then seems to go out of it's way to attract attention.

Well, they certainly can't be that bright. How much of a secret can their society be if the student body has seen them naked?

T. Brennan

[argyle_princess]

To: Temperance Brennan <tbrennan@jeffersonian.gov>
From: Hannah Griffith <hannahgriffith@neptunehigh.org>

Subj: RE: High School

Dr. Brennan,

LOL. They wear ski masks, when they streak. We may be a hotbed of high school debauchery, but it's not so bad that we can recognize each other naked from the neck down, with faces covered.

And the school authorities will just love that this is what I'm choosing to tell a noted forensic anthropologist about Neptune High.

Hannah

[dr_temperance]

To: Hannah Griffith <hannahgriffith@neptunehigh.org>
From: Temperance Brennan <tbrennan@jeffersonian.gov>
Subj: RE: High School

Dear Hannah,

I could probably tell you a dozen different ways to pick your streakers out of a (fully clothed) line-up using forensic anthropological applications. And hundreds of studies have been done on the role of initiation rituals in society.

So, we'd tell the school officials that this is all of scholarly interest, not tawdry gossip.

I don't remember anyone streaking when I was in high school, but I definitely remember a few college incidents.

T. Brennan

P.S. And by that I mean I remember them strictly as a spectator, not a participant.

[argyle_princess]

To: Temperance Brennan <tbrennan@jeffersonian.gov>
From: Hannah Griffith <hannahgriffith@neptunehigh.org>
Subj: Seriously?

Dr. Brennan,

Ok, I'll bite. So how could you pick them (fully clothed) out of a line up? And what is the role of intiation rituals in society? I mean, aside from the disruption of lunch?

Hannah