Another old friend of mine I remember now, an architect nicknamed Short Johan, a confused prophet indeed. Once he built a house: one open space full of stairs and levels, a real platform game to live in or a granny-graveyard. What an artist indeed.
(How nice it is to be a grumpy old man, hé, hé)

I'm sure you've read The Fountainhead, tell me: how many Roarke's have you come across lately?
ps: did you have to take the rain with you from Dublin?

Why would one comment on the private life of scientists? Was it about the alcoholic NASA?

But

I am not sure how to takie "But" in the last sentence.

But or the sublimation

Architecture and cookies.
``But`` in that last sentence simply means that Arnon wouln´t have traveled to just any place on earth... Listen to Rem Koolhaas for a change, the man who destroyed LAGOS Nigeria. Seriously: if you do, drink a ristretto with a ginger nut cookie (or 5)

Arnon,

I hope you can stay for an other week...
But, I heard yesterday that next year we will be seeing you a lot! Maybe that's the time for us for a reunion (and with us I mean the theatre'crew'). Well, I'm really looking forward to it.

Balkenende

It looks like Mr. J.P. Balkenende needed some money:
http://boeken.marktplaats.nl/literatuur/115134819-arnon-grunberg-tirza-met-opdracht-en-gesigneerd.html

Dedicated copies of The Jewish Messiah from the private collection of Balkenende were already sold, according to a book seller from The Hague.

PS

PS I'm selling the signed book because I like clean copies, and I could use the money. It also has some strange and nasty stains on some pages.

Cheapskate

Someone just made a bid. 10 Euros, can you believe this? He can have my wife's dirty undees for 10 euros, not this book.
Mr. Grunberg, are all your collectors cheapskates?

@Giovanni, did you steal Balkenende's briefcase or what? Do yourself a favour and get a job, make some money the honest way. Send the book back to its righteous owner via Arnon's assistant Johannes.

Noa

I have a weak spot for con men.

@Noa, I don't quite understand your criticism. I bought it from a bookseller. Yes, I don't know how the bookseller got it, from Balkenende himself, his wife or someone else.
That's why I sent an e-mail to Balkenende, who refused to make any comment, so I am not to blame, if it was stolen or not.
Then I wrote to Arnon to ask if I could sell it on Marktplaats. Arnon didn't object to it. Today I saw that the person who made a 10 euros bid has removed it.

@Arnon, you can call me a con man, but as I said to Noa, you know I wrote you about this. If you think I stole it, so be it, I don't care.

Mr. Schwarz

I’m not sure if you are a con man. Maybe you are, maybe not. But you know when people ask me to sign a book for them I assume that they don’t ask me this to resell the book on the web?
This is called trust.
A con man takes my trust but what do I get in this transaction?

@Grunberg: You know what, you can have my wife's dirty undees if you are unhappy with this situation.
First saying this is ok, and now the whining about trust. How am I supposeds to feel now?? I did a bit of lying to sell the book for more money, now you revealed that I sent the book to you to sign it for Balkenende. You said you understood my financial situation. Contact me to arrange this.

"I love a good con man", Xaviera Hollander only very recently said exactly the same thing. A
Giovanni, are you really that sensitive? Then you must be a con woman. I wasn't being critical, I was being humorous.

Signed books

The least you can do when reselling a signed book, is to rip out the signed page to keep as a souvenir.

Signed books

I have never understood the ‘ritual’ or use of signed books, so I have none.
Now that I got one by surprise, I will keep and hide it forever.

to sign or not to sign

I didn't understand it either, although recently i've come to see that it can be quite magical when you come across an old book, signed (and very important at that point: dated) by the writer.
It's a strange sensation to know that on that day, in that year the writer himself had the book in his hand.
I would not easily be tempted to buy a second hand book in which a name other to my own is specified - like let's say "To Mister Balkenende''.
It often seems to ruin the book for me.

Rituals

Jan Thys,
Sometimes writers themselves don't like the ritual also. The Dutch writer Ferdinand Bordewijk most of the time refused to sign his work. He only signed for his family and close friends.
Another ritual is the ritual of the first prints.
I once met a man who build up a nice collection of books of one writer after he and his wife divorced - before the divorce he wasn't interested in books. I will always remember the sad impression he made when he glanced around the room with all the books, boxes, etc.
Personally I love signed books and first prints, but I like to seperate love from obsession.
There must be an explanation for these rituals, it has off course a connection with religion (the fetish).
It is Walter Benjamin's remark that I hold dear, that first prints have something magical. Signed books also I must say, that's why I'm bidding on this book. (I don't care if Mr. Schwarz makes some easy money, maybe he'll buy his children some pancakes for the money.)
Pure romanticism off course, but in a disenchanted world romanticism is one of the few things to hold on to.

It's also important that it is clear that it has been signed by the writer, not the reader. Sometimes that is not so clear.

Signing and popculture

Stephen King was caught signing his own books in a Barnes & Nobles. They thought he was a freak and called security. I tell you, I'd be thrilled to casually pick up a copy of Carrie and to find his signature in it. That would really make my day.

signing

@Johannes
@Noa
Your nice words and stories, I like a lot and I understand. There is indeed some kind of magic involved that we should not dispose of all too easily.

Jan Thys,
For your information, the signings with Arnon are always a blast. The first one I attended was in May 2002, in the Goethe Institute of Amsterdam. He signed my copy of Blue Mondays and I remember I was happy as a kid.
Another signing I attended was during The Asylum Seeker goat tour in 2003 in Hardenberg, just a few days after my birthday so I had my birthday present signed.
Also very special was the signing of Monkey Grabbing Hold of Happiness in Amsterdam in 2004. On a couch in the window of a department store.
Arnon's signings are highly recommended.

johannes

A blast for whom if I may ask?
I remember very well that during the week of the books in 1998 (an event in the Netherlands that tries to promote literacy) a young woman came to my table without a book, but with a bra. And yes she wanted me to sign her bra.
Later, I believe in 1999, this woman traveled on my expenses to Munich where she taught me the fine arts of shoplifting.
She disappeared one morning out my life after taking some pocket money she found in my pants.
During a signing session in 2004 a woman with red hair approached me. She declared she wanted to marry. Now she is pregnant, the father is from the West Indies.

Arnon,
Is that a rhetorical question?
Next time when I dig up personal memories about signings I will add: 'But you have to remember these signings are a punishment and a humiliation for Arnon.'

But Johannes, do you view women throwing themselves at you a punishment?
Then you're my (saintly) man.

Noa,
If people come to a signing to throw themselves at you and disappear with money after traveling together, or marry to someone else, yes I wouldn't see that as a blessing. But some punishments can be blessings.

Johannes

Well the answer is yes.