Lobe den Tag

Das Thema der Leseliste für den Monat Juli ist Reisen, innere Reisen sowieso und selbstverständlich solche in der Außenwelt. Exotische und spannende Orte gibt es an beiden Stellen. In diesem Post nehmen Buchbesprechungen den größten Raum ein. Zum einen, weil jedes Buch an sich schon eine Reise ist, zum anderen, weil Bücher die wunderbarsten und inspirierendsten Reisebegleiter sind und ich nirgends soviel lese, wie im Urlaub. Und last but not least, weil viele der Bücher, die ich liebe, in irgendeiner Form von Reisen handeln. Auch ich werde in den nächsten Monaten ein kleines wenig reisen. Vor allem in die Uckermark, in den geliebten Garten, von dort aus ein kleiner Abstecher an die Ostsee. Dann stehen noch Köln und Bonn auf der Agenda, wo ich alte Freunde sehe und die Marina Abramovic Show in der Bundeskunsthalle anschauen möchte. Anfang August shippern Miss Lilly (evtl. Miss Holly) und meine Wenigkeit mit herrlichen Freunden auf einem Hausfloß über die Mecklenburgische Seenplatte...

I am reading a biography about Agnes Martin , the american artist, who spent so many years in or close to Taos. I started reading it, shortly before I departed for New Mexico last August. That said, it is obviously, that it takes me an awful long time, to finish the book. So, this morning, I started to wonder, why that was the case, and the first answer was: this book is demanding. You can not just read it. It often reads like a scientists paper in art history. Many informations on places, she lived, the artists and circles, whom one could encounter there, pages and pages of  descripitions of her paintings, which I would rather expect from a catalogue of a workshow, not from a biography. The book is often filled with knowledge, which did not help me personally, to understand Agnes Martin. Fact is: she grew more and more distant. Constructions considering her mental illness (schicophrenia), which probably are researched impeccably, but still, the artist remained distant, like someb...

the sky - a poem rewritten every instant clouds telling stories with many or few colours of what was what is what will be when the sun goes down each night a new scenario to burn your past in the fire she who seeks light shall not be afraid of the fire one has to be burned like the day in an ever more perfect sunset to be born again every morning in an ever more perfect sunrise to burn your past in the fire every word you ever wrote every word you never wrote she who wants to be alive needs not fear the bears needs not fear the fire needs not fear the dark light of the soul & the emptiness to burn your past in the fire every word you ever wrote every word you never wrote (c) Susanne Becker

Today was a good day. I awoke at about 6 a.m. to a blue sky. The air was cold, but also mild. August feels like october, but thats okay. I was very happy to be alive, until I remembered, that I was supposed to fly to New Mexico in exactly 7 days. Not good! I was afraid to go to New Mexico. I stayed in bed another hour and the fear was like a storm in my body. Also in my brain. So many thoughts about accidents, misfortunes, bears, the darkness, the loneliness, losing my mind actually. This has been so every morning for the past 2 or 3 weeks. I am nervous to go. I am afraid of all the things, which could happen, to me, but more so to Lilly. Am I endangering my little daughter by bringing her to New Mexico? Mainly, I am afraid to leave my comfort zone. So I hear my dead mother’s voice very much alive in my head: „You are crazy! Are you crazy? What do you want in New Mexico? Do you want to be killed by terrorists? What will you do, if a bear attacks you? Are you crazy to leave y...

is a wonderful person I have met about 18 or so years ago during a creative writing workshop in New Mexico. It actually took place on Ghost Ranch, the former home of Georgia O'Keeffe and was taught by Natalie Goldberg. I adored Natalie Goldberg at the time. And I must say, I've learned a lot from her in regard to just writing, keeping my pen moving, filling one notebook after the other. I learned there to trust my own voice. What intrigued me most though wasn't Natalie, but Sheridan, who got really really excited about everything I wrote there. I was german. I just dared writing in english, just like I still do, and she gave me sooo much positive feedback. We have been in touch ever since, though we actually never ever met again in person. Sometimes we exchange our writing, we comment on our blogs or just tell each other, what is going on in our lifes. She still is a writer and besides writing her own stuff, she does biographies for people, who can hire her. Just recent...