It’s no secret that Eric doesn’t have the best connection with fans — especially his Mom’s fans. This comes from a firm belief he has held for as long as anyone can remember: that fanatics of any kind are among the greatest dangers in the world. Blind devotion, whether to a person, an idea, or a memory, leaves no room for truth.
But admirers are a different matter entirely. People who appreciate the work itself — who take a genuine interest in what you do rather than in fame, or the lack of it — those are people Eric has always truly enjoyed talking to.
There was such a person in Lugano. Someone Eric shared many coffees and pizzas with, over many years and many conversations. Sadly, that person, Ueli Keller, has passed away.
RIP, Ueli.
I wish all fans were like you: interested in the truth, always trying to understand what lies beneath the glamour. I will miss your intelligent questions, and the conversations that grew from them — the kind that started over a coffee and were still going when the pizza plates were cleared.
Say hi to Mom, the family, and all the other great ones up there.