Role in Story:     Psychologist that does not diagnose Florence with HD but indicates to her father that she should live a life of music, song, dance and lyric. 

     Occupation:     Visiting Psychologist at West Texas Sanitarium

     

Physical Description:     like the (German) music teacher in Fame

     Personality:     Type I, reformer, MT for the masses, helped many Jews recover from their trauma in concentration camps with MT, wise, civilized, a crusader for MT

     Habits/Mannerisms:     Clean, well groomed, organized, consistent, punctual, restrained.  He’s passionate about writing letters and always has his pen, stationary and envelopes ready. 

     

     Background:     Swiss/Italian who had a Jewish wife.  He is there to study the Braceros, their music, the manners in which they deal with pain and suffering.

     Internal Conflicts:     Suffers from a guilt that he’s never working hard enough, crusader’s guilt and burden.  Critical and judgmental of himself.

     External Conflicts:     Lost his wife (Emmy) when she was sent to a concentration camp where she had to sing in a women’s orchestra.

     

     Notes:     Named after the father of Humanism.  Like the original Petrarch he is a recorder of songs and a precursor to the contemporary musicologist and musical therapist.  He is working on a songbook that is based on suffering in an attempt to understand the dynamics of music therapy. 

          He initially meets Florence and her family at the Panhandle-South Plains Fair and can see that Florence is showing signs of fatigue and sleep loss.  He also notices that her mother is constantly arguing with her father and sees opportunity for work.  He informs them that he specializes in sleep issues and thinks he can help Florence.  Naturally, Nora tells him to beat it and that they want nothing to do with head doctors.  James hold on to his card and decides to take Florence there on the following Saturday when he and Florence have to return to Lubbock to visit the library.