It feels good to know he died at home in his own bed, far away from hospitals and their machines with merciless needles.
May he enter a wonderful paradise, a young man, a girl and a boat included.

They said his body ran out. I don't know out of what. Maybe if you find what your body is running on, you die. Maybe you don't. I felt a bit strange, yesterday, as if Wolkers wasn't all that famous and he made me think "even ordinary people die".

Arnon

I remember reading your interview with Jan Wolkers in the summer of '94. Is it possible to obtain a copy of this article through Johannes?

Oscar W

Yes of course, please contact Johannes.

I remember my first encounter with you, Mr. Arnon, it was on Dutch Television. You were interviewing a famous author. I remember that I thought your questions were very rude and disrespectful. Who was that author again?

(btw, did you add the ending about the sandwiches later? I can't recall reading it.)

On the last boat !

Last Tuesday I downloaded a podcast: A 5 hour marathoninterview on VPRO radio in 1986, Jan Wolkers vs. Ronald vd Boogaard. (http://www.vpro.nl/rss/karousel.jspx?pool=27692356)

Like many adolescents attending high school in those years, we're talking 1972/1973, Jan Wolkers was high on my list of favourite writers.
After having listened to the entire interview, I was exhausted. Jan´s astmathic breathing and coughing while his host kept on lighting up... was physically very tiring to me and his talking, his stories anecdotes andsoforth kept me on the edge of my chair.. A position that after 5 hours became almost impossible, fulfilling but impossible.
But why listening to the interview?
I have perfect memories of Jan Wolkers and his books. I literally devoured his books (like yours Arnon), not just for the erotic passages in his books, but also for the accessibility of his prose, his knife sharp analysis of the Dutch Reformed church that has had such a devastating effect on the lives of many (in this case) Dutch people, some writers (like 't Hart and Biesheuvel) in particular.

I suddenly felt I had to write to Jan Wolkers before it was to late. Writinbg the letter I had for years, written in my head but never meant to sent.... I started up my Macand somehow your blog felt like the first lace to go, although I usually surf to NRC's frontpage.
And there it was: Andrea Jansen's comment on your Disinformation blog.
I hadn't read any news headlines yesterday, so I was not prepared for this at all. It hit me right n th face like slid rock. Familiar parts of my life seem to disintegrate, crumbling. Somehow 52 feels old today. I plan to tempt my son in watching a movie together, "Spirited away" (or in Japanese "Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi") by Myazaki, seems like a good choice, to get rid of that melancholy mood.

Although, after much deliberation, it seemed pointless, to put my hought in writing, I still mean to write that letter for the sake of his widow and sons and maybe, just maybe, Jan 'll be watching us, and I hope that one day he'll get through to us.

Jan Wolkers, may he rest in peace...

Eulogy

I sincerely apologise for the typing errors in my last piece. Hope it doesn't make the piece unreadable

Leiden CS

Next time when I will be meeting someone at Wolkers artwork on Leiden CS - a perfect meetingpoint - I will be doomed to think of jam sandwiches.

Ybe

Ybe, instead of Miyazaki's "Spirited away", I would recommend you and your son to watch "Castle in the sky" or "My neighbor Totoro".

@Ybe, who is Jan Wolkers?

@Ilanit

Did you see Arnon's clip in the calendar section? He accepted that mans challenge. Apparantly we will see Arnon covered in mud. A pity you won't.

Mieke

I saw the clip and found it to be very sexually rousing

Dens

Do you mean Elfriede Jelinek?

Oscar W

I forgot that the interview with Jan Wolkers can also be found in the my collection of essays The Comfort of Slapstick.

Boat

I guess you mean ferry.

wolkers

@oscar w
De troost van de slapstick pagina 163.

Marieke G

Ferry is the better word. I stand corrected.

marieke g

But to avoid misunderstandings a ferry is a boat.

marieke g/arnon

Wolkers said 'boot'. And probably on purpose not 'veerboot'.
So 'boat' is perfect here because of the shade of meaning.
It feels different. To me.

Arnon, Vera

Unfortunately, 3645 miles separate me from my copy of "The Comfort of Slapstick".

Interview

@Arnon: No I loved that interview, I really did. I love Jelinek since that interview.
The one I mean is in Dutch. I remember the camera-view: you were sitting on the left of the screen, the author on the right. I believe we could see a bit of your torso, maybe a knee, and all of the author. The overall color was red/bordeaux. But I don't remember the author.

Arnon and Jelinek

Does 'rude questioning' come to your mind, when you think of your meeting with Elfriede Jelinek?

Has she ever reacted on the little stack of books you send to her?

Pjötr

I think that Jelinek is one of the few authors I interviewed on television. The others were Kaminer, who hardly can be described as an author and Frank Westerman, with whom my conservation was not so much an interview, more an opportunity for Mr. Westerman to gives his sales talk.
I have never heard back from Elfriede Jelinek.
Oh, and then there was Jef Geeraerts. I believe that was a fairly interesting interview.

Oscar W

I'll ask Johannes to send you another copy.

To stand corrected

... books that you sent her, that should have been.

Maybe it was just a dream.