kopiert den kookbooks text zur lesung am 5. november, man möge mir verzeihen

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KOOKREAD IN KREUZBERG: JUNGE LITERATUR VON PAUL BRODOWSKY, DANIEL FALB UND FELICIA ZELLER
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Donnerstag, 05.11.2009, 20:00 Uhr
kvartira No. 62
Nach dem schönen Start am neuen Ort geht es weiter mit KOOKread im Kvartira
- kleine, feine, entspannte Lesungen von jungen und jüngsten Autor/innen.
Mischungen, Entdeckungen, Raum für Getränke und Gespräche.

Am Donnerstag lesen Paul Brodowsky, Daniel Falb und Felicia Zeller (Foto)
Prosa und Lyrik.

Paul Brodowsky, geboren 1980 in Kiel, lebt in Freiburg, Berlin und in
Großraumwagen der Deutschen Bahn. Er studierte Kreatives Schreiben und
Kulturjournalismus an der Universität Hildesheim und war Mitbegründer und
bis 2004 Herausgeber der Literaturzeitschrift BELLA triste. Ausserdem ist
er Mitbegründer des Literaturfestivals PROSANOVA. Zwei Bücher erschienen
bislang bei Suhrkamp: "Milch Holz Katzen" und "Die blinde Fotografin".
Neben Prosa schreibt er auch dramatische Texte, zuletzt "Regen in
Neukölln". Seit 2007 unterrichtet er Schreiben an der Uni Hildesheim.
Stipendienaufenthalte in New York und Los Angeles, zahlreiche
Auszeichnungen und Preise, u.a. den Förderpreis zum Nicolas-Born-Preis und
den Preis der Frankfurter Autorenstiftung.

Daniel Falb, geboren 1977 in Kassel, lebt seit 1998 in Berlin. Studium der
Philosophie, Soziologie, Politikwissenschaften. Derzeit ist er Doktorand
der Philosophie. Falbs Gedichte erschienen in Zeitschriften und
Anthologien, u.a. in Edit, Bella Triste, Zwischen den Zeilen, Sprache im
technischen Zeitalter, Jahrbuch der Lyrik. Bei kookbooks kam nach seinem
Debüt "die räumung dieser parks", 2003, vor wenigen Tagen sein neuer
Gedichtband "bancor" heraus. Falb wurde u.a. mit dem Lyrikdebütpreis des
Literarischen Colloquiums Berlin 2005 und einem Stipendium der Stiftung
Niedersachsen 2006 ausgezeichnet.

Felicia Zeller, geboren 1970 in Stuttgart, lebt und arbeitet als
Schriftstellerin in Berlin-Neukölln. Sie diplomierte 1998 mit einer Arbeit
über nonlineare Dramaturgie an der Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. 2008
wurde ihr Theaterstück "Kaspar Häuser Meer" mit dem Publikumspreis bei den
Mülheimer Theatertagen ausgezeichnet, die Inszenierung läuft zur Zeit am
Maxim Gorki Theater, Berlin. Für ihren ersten Kurzprosaband "Einsam Lehnen
am Bekannten" erhielt sie den Clemens Brentano Preis 2009. Brandneu
erschienen im Lilienfeld Verlag, Düsseldorf, ist "Bier für Frauen, Kaspar
Häuser Meer, Gespräche mit Astronauten. Drei Stücke".
Ort:
Kvartira No. 62
Lübbener Str. 18
10997 Berlin

Der sozialfreundliche Eintritt beträgt 3,- EUR

(picture taken from postsecret.)

die letzte avantgarde

DER FREITAG hat einen artikel darüber, warum man als autor im netz kein geld verdient. leider schon eine woche alt, habe ihn aber erst heute gefunden.

jede menge interviews mit großen autoren

in der literatur-"abteilung" auf galore.de. alles umsonst und spannend, sehr zu empfehlen.

not on the list

just like in the past couple of years, i am not among the finalists of this year's open mike. but alexander gumz is. he's nice and writes good poetry, so that's ok. (i translated his poem wo diese ränder enden a year ago.) congratulations!

poets except daniel falb

here are a couple of pictures andré jahn took at that political poetry reading i wrote about for lyrikkritik.de's Laufbotschaften. everybody's in there except daniel falb. top to bottom: angela sanmann, ann cotten, björn kuhligk, florian voß and tom bresemann. i took these pictures from andré's facebook album lesung-politische-lyrik-im-so-36-letzten-donnerstag with his permission.

"natur beschreiben ist sowieso ein unsinn, weil sie ja jeder kennt." - thomas bernhard on the economy of writing

my debut on www.lyrikkritik.de

i wrote a little mood piece called Politikpoeten on the evening over at SO36 (event invite see below) and hendrik jackson was kind enough to put it up amongst his Laufbotschaften.

you've always wanted to become an open mike jury member?

here's your chance! apply until 30 october 2009.

political poetry is hip

ann cotten, daniel falb, rené hamann, björn kuhligk, angela sanmann, tom schulz and florian voß will be reading their political poetry @ SO36, oranienstr. 190, 10999 berlin on thursday, 24 september 2009. cover charge: 3 €, 8 p.m. i'll probably go, this sounds interesting.

"Zornig und selbstbewusst meldet sich die politische Lyrik zurück.
Junge Autoren thematisieren die Probleme von heute: Migration, Klimakrise, Globalisierung, Massenarbeitslosigkeit und Abschaffung der sozialen Systeme. Aus Anlass der Buchpublikation »Alles außer Tiernahrung. Neue politische Gedichte« kommen acht Dichter auf die Bühne des SO36 und hauen Euch ihre Verse um die Ohren. Anschließend Party mit Politmucke von Brecht bis The Exploited! Stand up and dance - stand up and fight!"

DIE ZEIT über Lyrik im Netz.

...and, quite possibly, the even more informative link: matthias kehles lyrik-blog.

wespengedicht

ich habe dich über den sommer verloren
die wespen geschlagen die wespen im
süßesten wasser ersäuft dich darüber verloren
und wenn ich erinnere habe ich jahre
vergessen und angehäuft. angehäuft mehr.
und wespen im sommer wie zuckerrand
an meinem essen und fühler. dich angefühlt
über den tellern den wahrsagern blöd in den
mund gestiert. nachgefühlt dann jenem summenden
klang eines namens die uhr viel zu weit um
das handgelenk wedelt die lästigen, lästigen
wespen zurück. das jahr war kaum heiß und
ansonsten schon alles vergestern. die ewigen witze
die wespen das gelb in den boden getreten verklebt
und sie fliegen zu zehnt aus den nestern.
ich habe dich wieder im nettesten menschen des tages.
gestreift und verwickelt in rede und schal du
die wespen gekrümmt zu vertrocknen.


[rough tranlsation:]

i've lost you over the summer
the wasps hit the wasps drowned them in
sweetest waters and lost you therefore
and when i remember well i have forgotten
years and accrued them. accrued them more so.
and wasps during summer like sugar rims
round my dinners and feelers. i have felt you
over plates have stared into the mouth of fortune
tellers. empathized then with the humming
sound of a name and the watch way too lose
round my wrist waves the bothersome, bothersome
wasps away. the year was not hot and all else
has been lost in the past. deathless jokes and
the wasps and sticky yellow walked into the ground
and they usually fly from their nests in tens.
i have you back here with me in the day's nicest person.
striped and wrapped up in speech you
the wasps bent to shrivel.

as my internet went on holidays with my neighbours, i am not posting much these days. even though i would have really liked to tell you all about nadine gordimer's reading at pariser platz last tuesday and how she made barbara wahlster of deutschlandradio kultur look like a total idiot (she deserved it for asking those dumb-ass questions!). so yeah, i haven't been writing much lately, a poem or two perhaps, i might post one here later.

a german article on the history (and future? really?) of literature in berlin's famous prenzlauer berg.

und wenn ich dich nachts
in der ubahn vermisse was
macht das noch dass ich
den kopf an die schulter
nicht anlehnen kann wenn
ich nachts keine hand habe
an meinem hintern und
nicht einen finger im haar
ich habe dich stehen gesehen
im schnee bis die bahn kam
und frieren. was war dass ich
jetzt dann allein in dem schnee
an den bahngleisen stehe
du nicht keine hand keine hand
mehr an meiner und was kann
die bahn denn dafür? und
du fehlst mir manchmal und
was soll das jetzt heissen?
da stehen die männer herum
mit den händen im hosensack
finger im hängenden faden
ich gehe alleine was macht das?
ich gehe die hand in den haaren
ich hab dich erinnert die finger
den schnee auf den strassen
was macht das jetzt noch.

a friend of mine introduced me to poemhunter.com - fabulous! you even get to download e-books and all, go check it out. (thanks for the hint, maciek!)

(taken from postsecret.)

oktober und dann

von siebzehn bis dreizehn zusammen
wie kinder die sich
in den tagen verliefen
wie jungen verkehrt
sich verstehen und es wurd
eine liste geschrieben
im geiste von dingen
so unschön und wurzeln
und fehler verblieben
man hat sich die jahre
wie angetan als eine kehrseite
welcher beziehung aufs
herz gestülpt. nein.
jene zeit ist im wechsel
vergangen es gab an den
enden nichts wiederzusehn.



[rough translation:

october and then

from seventeen until thirteen together
like children got lost in
those days like boys of that age
misinterpret themselves
and there was a list that was written
of things very ugly and roots
and mistakes just remained
one did all these years to each other
an inward relationship put over hearts. no.
all time has passed alternating
with stillness to meet at its end.]

du kannst alles haben
auch das, was am
meisten bedeutete: ich
nehme nichts: dich
den eitlen zum fraß
für dreifünfzig die nie
jemand aufrechnet
du: in der glasglocke
druntrer als ich je
drin saß und mit
nichts eines lebens
das je mehr bedeutete
gut für dich: du
kannst es haben das
alles auch das was
du ließt: mich
im liegen dir doch
noch das meiste
nicht wahr die
dreifünfzig zum fraß
vor die scheibe
zwei gänge noch
gehen nicht bleiben.

i have been digging out old material - II

from a roofed platform
i watch horizon
suck in your train
that red and white train
that pulls you
winds you away
into a trail maze
industrial grey
and panic slurps
radiant days
doze notions of us
intertwined of
your leg on mine
for an instant last night
a valiant vagrant i
mumble goodbyes
and you perhaps
wonder if life
makes its mad debut
twice.

(2006)

i have been digging out old material - I

vielleicht wirds am end so
dass ich dir nachgeb
nichts wollen fast nur
diesen nagellack schwarz
dass die finger ganz schmal wirken
üben die botschaft an euch.

(2007)

frank mccourt died

two obituaries: one in german, one in english.

(taken from postsecret.)

those of you who know me...

know i'm useless when it comes to correct word counts. so it seems only logical that what i thought to be 27 norm pages are actually 36 norm pages. still not much, i know, i know. i have finished the fifth proper edit now and, as a next step, will have another look at the original draft to see whether maybe there was something in it i deleted but that's actually still useable. the only problem poses my printer that has been acting funny ever since i have been using improper refill cartridges. it used to work just fine in the beginning, it has been telling me for a while now, though that the colour cartridge is empty (i never even used nor replaced it!) and that because of that i can't print anything in black and white, either. grrrr.

it's this time of the year again

ingeborg bachmann preis - tage der deutschsprachigen literatur, klagenfurt, austria, 25 - 28 june.

live-stream online and live on 3sat (16 hours!).

translations of all selected submissions will be made available here.

personally, i won't be around this time, but i'll read in the supporting programme again next year.

off topic

(über facebook bei schorsch neu geklaut.)

edit no. 4, hot off the printer

ok, so i am done with edit number 4 of my little novella now. although still only at 27 norm pages (50.899 characters with spaces), i'm quite content with it. so far, i have only given it to stefan beuse to read, who gave me very encouraging feedback and who is the only one to know the working title of the manuscript still. i am planning on doing more editing and maybe even on adding more pages to it during my time on the road next week - the Arcotel Hotels have been so kind to sponsor a literary journey that will take me to Linz (AU), Klagenfurt (AU), and Zagreb (HR). as yet, i haven't made my mind up whether i'll bring my computer or not, as i am hoping that a macless journey would force me into writing more (less distraction). i will definitely bring my camera, though, and will take some pictures. speaking of pictures, here's a small selection of the ones i took on my most recent trip to the US:

max frisch's daughter on her relationship to her father

over at swiss radio station drs3. (in german.)

junot díaz and aleksandar hemon on contemporary american literature

over at NZZ.

some weird poem i wrote last september

YOU TO YOUR FAME
AS THE TWIGS OFF THE TRUNK
IN THE SKY.

copy paste: readings in berlin this week

DI, 2.6.2009, 20:30 Uhr
Nora Bossong, Nikola Madzirov und Daniela Seel
Kaffee Burger, Torstraße 58/60, 10119 Berlin (Mitte)

Nora Bossongs neuer Roman "Webers Protokoll" (Frankfurter Verlagsanstalt)
folgt den Wegen eines Diplomaten in der Nachkriegszeit zwischen Schuld und
Aufbruch. Historisches Material trifft auf große Kunstfertigkeit. Bossong
erhielt für ihre Lyrik und Prosa diverse Stipendien und Preise, u.a. den
Wolfgang-Weyrauch-Förderpreis 2007. Im Winter hielt sie sich im Deutschen
Haus in New York au; im Herbst wird sie Artist in Residence in China sein.

Nikola Madzirov, geboren in Strumica, lebt als Lyriker, Essayist und
literarischer Übersetzer in Makedonien. Für seinen bislang vierten
Gedichtband, "Versetzter Stein", bekam er den renommierten Hubert Burda
Preis für junge osteuropäische Lyrik. Madzirov ist zur Zeit Stipendiat in
Berlin. Wir werden seine wunderbar klaren, nie ganz auflösbaren Gedichte
zweisprachig lesen.

Daniela Seel war lang bevor sie den Verlag kookbooks gründete selbst schon
Dichterin. Hoch artifiziell und gerade dadurch hautnah schreiben ihre Texte
an den Grenzen von Wahrnehmung und Denken, Semantik und Sound, von Körper
und Luft entlang. Sie liest aus aktuellen, noch unveröffentlichten Texten.


FR, 5.6.2009, 20.30 h
COTTEN: Glossarattrappen. Bildprosa.
Dock 11, Kastanienallee 77, 10435 Berlin (Prenzlauer Berg)

KOOK richtet ein Minifestival aus Lyrik, Songs und Bildern ein, dieses
Wochenende im Dock 11. Am ersten Abend liest die großartige Lyrikerin Ann
Cotten:

Ann Cotten wandelt ihre Internet-Einträge in den GLOSSARATTRAPPEN nach
Notwendigkeit um oder löscht sie. Es kommen laufend neue hinzu, um sich in
das Chaos der Welt einzuklinken. Fotos und Zeichnungen sind eine Auswahl aus
allem, was ihr vorliegt. Es gibt Zitate. Das Netz bietet eine
Kontextlosigkeit, die erfrischend ist. Remember: it's fun - ein Fächer mit
tieftönenden Geräuschen.


SA, 6.6.2009, 20.30 h
POPP: Kolonie Zur Sonne. Gedichte.
BÖTTCHER: Vom anderen Ende des Flures. Songs.
Dock 11, Kastanienallee 77, 10435 Berlin (Prenzlauer Berg)

Am zweiten Abend spielt Jan Böttcher Songs zu Texten von Steffen Popp:

Der Verlag kookbooks wirbt mit "Poesie als Lebensform" - Steffen Popp hat
den schönen Ausruf jüngst mit seiner Poetik unterfüttert. Sprache sei nicht
im Hintertreffen mit der Wirklichkeit, sie erzeuge eine Wirklichkeit erst
selbst. So sei das Gedicht, in seiner Lebensferne, nichts anderes als eben
unser Bemühen um dieses Leben. Über Popps aktuellen Gedichtband, so
antiromantisch wie zart, urteilt die FAZ: »Hier finden sich einige der
schönsten Möglichkeiten, in deutscher Sprache dichterische Erfahrungen zu
machen.«

Jan Böttcher schreibt seine Lyrik seit Jahren ausschließlich in Liedform.
Viele Jahre hat er für die Band Herr Nilsson gesungen - mit seiner ersten
Soloplatte zeigt er, dass er sowohl der musikalischen als auch seinen zwei
texterischen Seelen treu bleibt: poetisch offene Lieder über die verlorene
Jugend und unsere immerwährende Nähe zur Klinik finden sich neben
satirischem Bashing auf Wellness, Hitler-Filme und die Geschäftspraktiken
der Pornobranche.

(taken from postsecret.)

two bookstores that impressed along the way:

Kramer's in washington DC and mcNally Jackson in new york city.

back. and mark twain/ samuel clemens documentary.

sorry, long absence.

on sunday, 7 june 2009, arte will broadcast a documentary about mark twain's life at 22:00 CET. the film was made in 2004 by ken burns.

done with edit number three

am currently at 46.105 characters including spaces. still not much, but already 10.000 more than i had after the second edit. feel a little lost now that this round is over, but i need to pack and walk the neighbours' dog soon.

"it isn't what you're thinking. no, it's worse."

craig arnold is presumed dead from a fall now. (quote above from his poem incubus.)

word count ↑

ok, so i am still working on the third edit of my novella BUT i have completed its second part (of five) just now and already am at 30.795 characters including spaces. this is fantastic, as i was only at 35.000 for the whole thing after edit number two. i am planning to finish the third round by the end of this week, i.e. before i go on holiday to mainz, frankfurt, and washington DC. the idea is to let the manuscript ripen until i'll be back, and then to re-work it once more with a fresh mind. not sure how many more edits i'll need after the fourth, certainly one, if not two or three. but, like i said, i will keep you posted.

hilde domin documentary, sunday, 10th may, 3sat, 21.45 - 23.20

more information here.

(image by sushi who is also working for DIE FREIE LANZE.)

i have started the third edit of my novella today. as per usual, i previously confused counting 'characters including spaces' with the ordinary word count - only this time to my disadvantage. turns out, my second edit lacks many more words than i thought it would. we'll see how comfortable i'll feel about padding as much. the original draft of the piece was almost triple as long as the second edit is, but i'm very content i cut out all that crap for good reason. in the third round now, editing takes me about an hour per A4 page, depending on how much i add. i'm starting to get a little excited at this point. still loads of work ahead, though.

zehn seiten

i've been wanting to post this link for a long while now. my personal favorites are rafik shami, gernot wolfgruber and stefan beuse. it's also interesting to note how benjamin lebert's voice changes once he starts reading. michael stavaric and thomas meinecke are featured as well.

american award-winning poet craig arnold went missing on a volcano hike in japan three days ago. peter parolin, head of the english department where arnold teaches, explained this by saying "he feels the need to go to places that people don't go and come back and tell us about them," on CNN. uhm, i know for a fact that he used to write poems about very mondane topics, too. either way, if you're in japan and happen to spot him, please tell local authorities.

zurich, 15 may 2009

my favorite book shop in zurich, pile of books, hosts another poetry & songwriter night - this time featuring anne blonstein and bobby vacant. due to a limited number of seats, they will be playing two sets, the first one starting at 7:30 pm and the second at 9:00 pm. in any case, it is highly recommended to make reservations. admission is free, which is unusual for zurich, however, small donations would be very much appreciated.

i wasn't gon' say nothin'

but i've changed my mind due to the good progress i made in the past week.

i am working on my first novella.

[pregnant pause.]

and i am halfway through my second edit.

it's rather short overall, which is why i wouldn't want to call it a novel. after all, it's really only an attempt. but as this started off as a blog about my being a writer, i'd like to let you know how i proceed.

so far, i've managed to develop a story idea that has been around for a while - about a year or so - into a prose script i still enjoy working on. this is a good sign as it shows that the subject is deep enough to immerse myself in. it's a first person-narrative and there's still plenty of research to do, though, reading up on some history, looking at pictures and stuff. not necessarily because i want to incorporate everything in it, but to get in the mood for padding the draft somewhat later on. i do have a title in mind as well, which crossed my mind roughly a week ago and, in a way, drove the whole project home for me. even if it will eventually turn out to have been just a working title, having one at this point helps me focus on the essence of the text.

i am very excited about this. and happy, too, that i am finally, finally scripting. what is more, it feels good to tell you about this and to bring this blog back to its roots as a work log. having said this - i'll keep you posted.

(taken from postsecret.)
((if you're into that kind of thing, try this.))

publishing on demand

the UK invented books to go.

draft and rough translation

lese eure stimmen / stimmt
dass sie in stille verschwanden
die stille die immer ist / aussen an jedem gehirn
es sind nicht die stimmen / die stimmen
es sind eure pausen / die luftholgedanken
die hängen an zeilen wie jenen die
raus sind aus eurem gekopf / aufs papier.


read your voices / right
they are now silence
like silence that's / outside of every brain
they are not voices / right
they are your silence / the deep breaths
that stick to your lines like the ones
that are outside your brainness / on paper.

DIE ZEIT has an article on johannes jansen, whom i read with at kaffee burger last december.

edition suhrkamp has published his new manifest, as they call it, this january: Im Durchgang.

there's more on johannes' work in general, adorned by one of ann cotten's drawings, over at in|ad|ae|qu|at.

how to revise

harvard business publishing has suggestions on how to revise an email.

should you be more interested in learning how to revise prose, you should have a look at richard lanham's works: either the longman guide to revising prose (2006) or just revising prose (2000).

nora bossong reading in berlin

nora bossong is going to read from her second novel 'webers protokoll' on 17 april 2009 at STUDIO der schaubühne, Ku'damm 135, from 22:30 on. i haven't read that book, nor have i read 'gegend', her debut, but i do like her poetry, and am thinking that her readings might be worth a visit. as the attentive among you might know, i have been trying to translate her poem 'leichtes gefieder' before, but unfortunately to no avail (yet). cover charge for the LESbar reading is 5,- € and you can make reservations here.

ron winkler on criticism of 'lyrik von jetzt' (23 march 2009)

der metroprolet dug out this today. (more on ron winkler @ wikipedia.)

oh well

so i didn't make it into the final 7 of the mdr literary prize. they said they received 1.890 short stories, many of which of "extraordinary quality". they will compile a book of some of those, but i certainly won't get my hopes up for being featured. it will be interesting to see who'll be going to win this prize, though. watch the readings and the award ceremony live on 4 may 2009 from 19.30 on MDR.

no news yet

from the mdr literary prize team. i'm thinking that that's a bad sign, as they said they would get back in touch by the 15th of april - finalistis, it seems, should be informed in advance, since they need to make travel arrangements and stuff. well, i haven't heard anything yet, so go figure.

another thing i have been contemplating is writing a fresh piece for this year's open mike competition. it's just that i can barely write at this point. no ideas, no patience, no words. that's the worst. no words.

bluetenleser has reactivated their newsletter to inform the german-speaking world about tv and radio programmes dealing with all things literary. the following documentary sounded interesting:

9. April 2009, 23:40 Uhr, arte
WIE WIRD MAN BESTSELLER?
Dokumentation, Deutschland 2008, SWR. Erstausstrahlung
Der Erfolg eines Buches wird meist in Verkaufszahlen gemessen. Wie viel Marketing steckt hinter einem Bestseller und was haben Qualität und Erfolg miteinander zu tun? Thomas Palzer beleuchtet den deutschen und französischen Literaturbetrieb zwischen Anspruch und Big Business.

hingehen!

(taken from postsecret.)

WOAW turns 2. nice.

as WOAW turns two, i am looking back on my relatively unimportant existence as a writer. so far, i haven't written a novel nor published a collection of poetry. i haven't spoken to agents or publishing houses and never finished a first draft of anything substantial. i have completed a meager four short stories and was never truly happy with their final versions.

the heedful ones among you might anticipate year three of WOAW to be no more productive than year two was. well, i wouldn't know. the outcome of undertakings like a sponsored literary journey to zagreb later this year (more details to follow in time) and the mdr literary prize (what are the odds!) will certainly have an impact on my motivation to put my material out there. further out than online, i mean, if that is at all possible.

soon i'll be featured in a reknown german magazine for contemporary literature. they sent an email asking whether i'd like to submit a poem for their next issue. i was asked to submit. just like with that literary trip that i was offered. now that means success to me. and WOAW deserves credit for much of that.

you, too, deserve credit, 'cause if there wouldn't have been a loyal readership out there from the beginning, i might not have stuck with releasing my stuff to the public. and by the way, i have never understood why you guys like my work. i do see how it differs from the rest of them in style, but i do not see how it's comprehendable or just in any way important. i guess it's evidence of sorts, like proof that i have lived here and partaken. even if just as an absentee.

i like to believe that WOAW eases absence. it eases the absence of poets, translators, readers, the absence of words, and the absence of sleep. maybe to some of you even the absence of me. thank you for missing, please stick around.


+ + WOAW is on facebook + + + add WOAW to your google reader + +

the best book i have read this year (so far)

thomas bernhard's prose piece meine preise. he wrote it in 1980, nine years before his death in feburary 1989. it's an angry piece, and a funny one, and most of all a brilliant one. i bought it only yesterday and have read it from cover to cover already.

another of his works i can greatly recommend is der untergeher (the loser), a fictional story around the life of famed pianist glenn gould.

ever wondered how to format a screenplay?

check this.

finally found: a sylvia plath interview

i like to break rules

habe mich leise vertanzt
in den trockenen gräsern des wildparks
hangabwärts zerstolpert
bin in deine arme gewankt
ich meine ich wäre dir mit meiner hand
in den nacken gekrochen verfallen am
zaunzeug das um uns verstand
das die tiere verhielt die lateinischen
affen und käfer und bären
uns zulaufen liess und beschnaufen
gewaltrand wo man sich noch sieht
im laub das zertreten
die schritte erinnert die kehrten.

i've quietly misdanced
in the deer park's dry grasses
destumbled down the slope
into your arms
i think i would have crawled my hand
into your neck prefalling from
the fences us to understand
what kept the animals the latin
apes the beetles and the bears
outcoming and subblowing us
the outbursts of the woods where one still sees
the leaves that have been crushed
the steps remembered, verted.

against the hype

following my high school motto, i have decided to say nothing about anything regarding books until the leipziger buchmesse is over. apart maybe from that bas böttcher has a new book out. this reminds me of a funny joke a friend of mine once made. awww, i'm in such a commemorating mood today.

medium funny, but nevertheless kind of interesting: some woman on creativity and anguish

cheers to my friend greg funnell who pointed this out to me!

listy list

here are a couple of upcoming events i wanted to inform/ remind you guys about:

27 feburary 2009, berlin
alistair noon will be launching his chapbook At the Emptying of Dustbins.
he'll be reading together with moon, mc jabber and lisa hollis, all of whom i have never heard of (is that bad?) and an 'incomparable' guy named joe czarnecki will be strumming a guitar.

9pm @ Coffee Karma. Sonntagstr. 30, Berlin-Friedrichshain (near S-Bhf Ostkreuz)

01 march 2009, berlin
KOOKbooks will be hosting a gala. i have mentioned this previously. the reading list is illustrius as usual. they, too, will have people who'll be strumming some guitars. check the facebook event for more info.

8pm @ Sophiensäle Berlin, Sophienstr. 18, Berlin-Mitte (near U-Bhf Weinmeisterstr.)

25 - 29 march 2009, rauris
tataaa, the 39th rauriser literature days. rauris is a tiny town in austria. i'm thinking the town is so small that they don't really need to mention where exactly the events will be hosted. if you wanted to do listen, you could check out this page here and email the responsible person. amongst others, raphael urweider and ron winkler will be reading there.

(taken from postsecret.)

a cushion has that cover / ein kissen hat dies bezüglich

Hotel Marienbad 005: Ann Cotten: Criticism & Cover

Monday, February 23, 2009, 7 pm

Barbara Köhler, author and translator, will present her flowing, carrying works in transmutation, acoustically and visually, at the Hotel Marienbad, upon invitation by guest #005 Ann Cotten.

i learn by going where i have to go

a friend brought the american poet theodore roethke to my attention. i should have heard of him earlier, but hadn't. here are a couple of poems, including the waking, which i particularly like. and here's a picture of the guy, too.

digital libraries

DIE ZEIT has an article on google, their efforts to digitize every book on the planet, especially the out of print ones, and the problems that arise thereof. trendsetting and interesting!

büro für kritik eröffnung impressions (minus everybody who doesn't like their face online. also, i'm only just getting used to that camera.)

Eröffnung: Hendrik Jackson's Büro für Kritik

the KW Institute for Contemporary Art is newly hosting hendrik jackson's Büro für Kritik (more info on their homepage soon). i think the idea is to anatomize other people's writing.

the opening of said three-dimensionality will be celebrated on sunday, 15 february 2009, 7 pm, at auguststr. 69, 10117 berlin.

i am definitely planning on going and might even bring a text or two. ann cotten, monika rinck and christian filips will be attending as well, which should make for a lyrically sound night.

**** update: more info on this event over at metroprolet ****

(taken from postsecret.)

soft rains animated

my friend Der Metroprolet currently features Ray Bradbury's complete story There Will Come Soft Rains.

ever wondered who seán rafferty was?

alistair noon has a very short bio.

KOOKread: Alphabet. afterthoughts

i just returned from a KOOKbooks reading in honour of inger christensen, the danish poet who died earlier this year. i'm thinking that after hearing what inger wrote, i might as well stop writing poetry altogether. not really, of course, but it did seem like there was nothing left to say at the end of her Alphabet poetry collection, the whole world's in this book, and the afterlife, too.

to my delight, the reading was very well organized. in fact, it was one of the very best readings i ever attended. not necessarily because the lecturers read particularly well, but mainly because it was thought out nicely - corresponding to the mathematical progression that inger had used as a scheme for her book.


if you're free on 1 march 2009: KOOKbooks is hosting a fundraising event in berlin; their motto is 'art needs patrons', so they will be selling some art. there'll also be dancing and drinking and singing and all, so perhaps that might be something fun to attend.

KOOKgala: Kunst braucht Mäzene!
Auktionsschau ab 18.30 Uhr. Auktion, Lesungen, Konzerte ab 20.00 Uhr
Sophiensaele, Sophienstraße 18, 10178 Berlin-Mitte

arbeitstitel: innen ist alles entzündet

das herz hängt am wieder
am haken am widerwä, wiederwer
baumelts zu dir
in den nabel das fusselgrab
ausheben. all deine toten
wie meine und widerbä, wiederbeleben
ins grün sein, die freiheit
verkordelt am schnurorgan
zwickt es gelegen. so
baumeln und ausheben
liegen und hängen und sehen:
das herz hängt am wieder, am haken
es baumelt zu dir.

Die Spürkönigin

luckily (?), a week-long bed rest allowed me to finish a prose piece to submit at this year's MDR Literatur-Wettbewerb. it's called Die Spürkönigin or The Sensequeen. i started writing it last december already, but only finished its umpteenth edit this afternoon. just in time, as it is, for the MDR competition. as usual, i am not allowed to publish it anywhere until i know whether i made it into the final rounds (wish me luck!), but i figured a paragraph of it in english could hardly hurt. so here goes:

I'll count up to hundred, that's what he said everytime I had asked him how long it would take us to get to the peak still, or rather the topmost spot, really, for the mountain wasn't much of a mountain in the actual sense of the word, but rather a stump hill. For a long time now rain's silver threads had made our pants stick to our knees, and even though we wore soles specially made for that kind of bad weather hiking, we slipped off the fields.

off topic: it's easy to see a tide turn!

for all you journalists and life and style economists

massenpublikum has an interview with brand eins chief editor gabriele fischer. in german, but very interesting! here is brand eins online.

(taken from postsecret.)

ou est le swimmingpool!

may i introduce to you ou est le swimmingpool, a band some friends of my ex-flat mates in london founded.

clearly, dance the way i feel is a song with hit potential. i added the acoustic version to the WOAW facebook group playlist.

MDR literaturpreis 2009

i am currently at my third edit for this year's MDR literaturpreis. it's always more difficult when there's no set topic. last year's competition was won by sudabeh mohafez (pictured by my humble self here), whom i remember to have a very empathetic and more classical style of writing. thus, i am not sure if there is, as the german would say, 'a flower pot to win' for me in this one. but i will try nevertheless. it has been quite a while since i have partaken in a literary competition. would be a good start into 2009, too. speaking of which - happy new year to you all!

re-writing wikipedia

michael stavaric, who was part of the FM4 Wortlaut jury 2008 and read with me at the prosafestival in innsbruck, was panned by DIE ZEIT for allegedly having copied wide parts of his new book 'magma' from wikipedia and other sources like the german encyclopedia.

i haven't read the book, of course, but i would like to take up the cudgels for michael to an extent. i mean, if it weren't for sites like wikipedia, a poem like gagarin (below) would have been written differently - patchier - or maybe even not at all. gagarin is a good example because i not only used knowledge i gained from the wiki article, but also some of the wording they used. like unglückliche verkettung verhängnisvoller umstände that i left inverted to mark the quotation. however, i am not stupid enough to think that you guys out there wouldn't notice. i know that you know that every good author reads up on his material. it does get problematic, of course, where no new spin or extra meaning is added. yet copying stuff word by word from an open source... can't be forbidden. i'm not saying it should be done, i'm just saying i can't be forbidden and should probably be regarded as a characteristic of the writings of our time. i'm pretty sure that earlier on in history, critics just had a harder time figuring out what sources novelists used as they weren't as easily accesible as they are nowadays - both online and in hard copy; if i'm not mistaken, books were never as cheap as they are today (in relative terms).

i haven't spoken to michael about this, but i'm thinking that he must have been aware of the simplicity with which this aspect of his writing technique could be 'uncovered'. just as it should have been clear to christian weiss of DIE ZEIT that he was going to find what he was looking for over at wikipedia and in the encyclopedia, because that's where authors gather information. in my opinion, it really all depends on what one makes of that.

here's a far more favourable recension of 'magma' by beate tröger of the FAZ, who is probably older than christian weiss and less internet-savvy. or maybe she just didn't care, because she liked michael's style so much.

gagarin (post-CCCR)

stellst dich vors leben wie juri
vom nordpol als erster ins all ging
dein mädchen, dein mädchen
ist da, kosmonaut. du mann,
dem der spielraum ausgeht.
und die unglückliche verkettung verhängnisvoller umstände
unkorrigiert. stimmt's nicht,
nur zwei mehr stabile sekunden
hätte der vogel gebraucht.
kopf im helm für den überschallknall.
streng glänzt der rote platz
in meinem discozimmer.


you rise before life just like juri
from the north pole rose as first man into space
your girl, your girl
has arrived, cosmonaut. you man
who's losing space.
and the unfortunate concatenation of fateful circumstances
still uncorrected. isn't it right
that that bird would have needed
just two more steady seconds.
head into helmet for the supersonic bang.
sternly gleams the red square
in my disco room.

you'll find a corresponding video to this poem over at the WOAW facebook group.

WOAW has its own facebook group!

if you care to join, please find it here.

in addition to what i publish here on the blog,
i will post music clips over there from time to time.
=> soon, there will be a WOAW playlist, too.
awesome, innit?

spontangedicht: vorweihnachtliche kulturkaufhoelle

der gang zum kaufhausklo
während das leben am tampon vorbeiblutet
alles so riesig hier aber doch nichts zu sehn das ich bin
in briefen die kommas vergessen falsch setzen und nie wieder je
danach suchen die zeichen die stimmen doch auch nicht mehr
wo sie mal sassen so liest sich das leben vorbei an den
polsterquadraten die blasen vom gluehwein geleckt.

i am working on my prose text for tuesday at this very moment and needing a break. i need breaks all the time when i write. during those breaks i do all sorts of things, walk up and down, grab a tea, and another, call someone up, or pluck eyebrows. the typical stuff. like now for example, i'm writing this post. it's such a shame i haven't really written any poetry lately, at least none i'd like to put up here. i think i might be getting a little more protective of my private matters as i am expanding my presence on the web... i am, for example, new to twitter - please feel free to add me. alright, i'll try and go back to work now.

AB JETZT: rumproleten !

i have been invited to blog for metroprolet, which is super. i have promised to deliver two posts a week, which is more than i am posting here on WOAW at the moment. i am hoping that a little professional pressure will increase my textual output. i know, i've said this many times before, but this time it's different, 'cause no one likes to let their peers down, right? i will blog in german over there, by the way. that's a first and should be mighty interesting.

speaking of which: ernesto castillo and johannes jansen will read at the labor in neukölln next friday, 12 december 2008. 8 pm onwards, i think.

oh yeah, and don't forget my own reading on 16 december 2008 at the rumpelofen/ kaffee burger. i am currently working on a prose text for that, so you'll get to hear fresh material.

post no. 400: DIE FREIE LANZE preliminary preliminary website launch !

die vorlaeufige vorlaeufige webseite meiner kleinen agentur ist online. wenn Ihr junge designer kennt, die freiberuflich arbeiten wollen, leitet sie ruhig an DIE FREIE LANZE weiter; jahrelange arbeitserfahrung ist nicht zwingend noetig, nur talent sollen sie haben.

the preliminary preliminary webpage of my little agency is online. should you happen to know young designers who would like to work freelance, please pass them on to DIE FREIE LANZE - years and years of work experience are not important, i much prefer talent.

sometimes facebook ads point out good things. today i noticed FRND.DE for the first time, an initiative that is working to prevent suicide. i think that's great.

four poems by alistair noon

here.

the other day on the tube i wrote a poem. i keyed it into my mobile and soon thereafter accidentally deleted it. i rewrote what i remembered and accidentally deleted that as well. now all i can remember of it still are three lines:

flogen uns seekrähen
(seekrähen, gibt's das?)
um unsre gedankenzufuhr

for all of you in vienna

°LUFTSCHACHT has new readings scheduled:

hanno millesi - 'der nachzügler' - 26.11.08, 19.30, literaturhaus wien, zieglergasse 26a

nicolas mahler and heinz wolf present their comic 'molch' - 27.11.08, 19.30, joanelli rauchsalon, gumpendorferstr 47-49

enjoy!

bin an dir liegengeblieben als vorlage
wie viele monate darf ich auf deiner matratze
ich habe bewegungserinnert die lichtschalter
tuerschwellenbreiten ich kenne die nachbarn
am schritt. es sind diese zeiten in denen die
flaggen an fenstern einfrieren verstehst du die leute
vergessen sich hier.

reading no. 1 in berlin!

needless to say, my nanowrimo is not going anywhere. i have been busy furnishing my apartment, baking cakes and buying furniture. like i said. i am also in the process of founding a little company.

i am planning on getting back to writing very soon, when i have more time to myself again.

on 16 december 2008, however, the rumpelofen will host my first reading in berlin. it will take place in my beloved kaffee burger. with johannes jansen i am in excellent company yet again.

if you can, please do come by. it's cheap.

gëzim hajdari

in today's lyrikmail was an untitled poem written by gëzim hajdari, an albanian poet whose works have been translated from italian into german by stefanie golisch. my italian is very, very basic, so when i translated this poem i translated the german version first, then secondly double-checked it as well as i could with the italian original. as usual, i allowed for a couple of translational liberties.


you know i would have scribed the most beautiful book
i have written with the tip of a knife
into my skin,
remember, that march, the Judas trees blossomed
with terror and joy at those valleys' verges.
perhaps the most beautiful book
emerged from my ashes and attuned to your life,
i wrote it in the vacancy of that room while looking out through that window
witnessing time and the recurrence of seasons
lost by rain's nudity.
i wrote it in penury,
on moonsick, culpable days,
far from you, from your gloamings,
from one waterside to the other i shouldered
books from a country that glorifies tyrants


Ich sagte dir, dass ich mein schönstes Buch
mit der Spitze des Messers
in meine Haut geritzt haben würde,
weißt du noch, März war, der Judasbaum blühte
erschrocken und freudig an den Rändern der Schlucht.
Vielleicht habe ich das schönste Buch,
das aus meiner Asche stieg und deinem Leben gleicht,
in der Verlassenheit jenes Zimmers geschrieben,
als ich aus dem Fenster blickte,
Zeuge der Zeit und der Wiederkehr der Jahreszeiten,
welche die Nacktheit des Regens streifte.
Ich schrieb es in äußerster Armut,
in mondkranken, verzweifelten Tagen,
fern von dir, fern deiner Dämmerungen,
trug ich von einem Ufer zum anderen
Bücher aus einem Land, das Tyrannen vergöttert


Ti avevo detto che il libro più bello
l’avrei scritto con la punta del coltello,
sulla mia pelle,
ricordi, era marzo, fiorivano i siliquastri
con spavento e gioia ai margini dei burroni.
Forse il libro più bello,
sorto dalle mie ceneri e che assomiglia alla tua vita,
l’ho scritto nella stanza sgombra mentre guardavo dalla finestra
il testimone del Tempo e il ritorno delle stagioni
sfiorate dalla nudità delle piogge.
L’ho scritto in povertà estrema,
nei miei giorni di pena e maldiluna,
distante da te, distante dai tuoi crepuscoli,
portando sulle spalle da una sponda all’altra
libri di un paese che adora i tiranni

berlin

i have arrived in berlin and am sitting on my wooden floors at the moment, watching my stucco ceiling. i can't believe i get to stay in this beautiful place for as long as i like. i mean, honestly, how much better can life get?

i have started nanowrimo today - haven't got too many words yet, but am not worried. i'm happy about every sentence i put down at the moment. each is better than none. plus i'm guessing that i could use quite a lot of what i jot down now later on. i'm a very slow writer. i have been a very slow writer all my life, so fuck pressure. there is absolutely no need to get stressed out about word counts set by strangers.