This is a poetic essay by Giorgio Agamben (b. 1942), a leading figure in contemporary intellectual thought. By showing the reader the studies where he has worked, the Italian philosopher attempts to construct a self-portrait through the objects found within them. For Agamben, reflecting on himself proves possible only by speaking of others—the poets, philosophers, artists, and friends who shaped his memories and inspired his writing. Thus, the philosopher’s self-portrait becomes inextricably linked to Martin Heidegger and his Le Thor seminars, the books of Hannah Arendt, the Italian intelligentsia, and philosophical reflections on the nature of memory, love, and writing.