With the "Flying Letter," Hamann intended to conclude his literary activity between 1785 and 1787. He aimed to publicly reflect on all his writing and thinking, particularly discussing issues of representation and justifying his much-criticized dark style and the method of indirect communication he developed. In a dramatic literary rollercoaster lasting 16 months, he ultimately failed to complete the allusive, highly reflective work shaped by radical linguistic thought, which ends with the words: "etc. I can no longer -". Dozens of drafts of the "Flying Letter" have been preserved. No other writing project provides better insights into the production conditions and Hamann's working method, which is characterized by combination and recombination.