Writing and dying
Yes and no
The second literary boot camp for Dutch soldiers who are interested in writing about their experiences in Afghanistan was held today.
At the first time that this literary boot camp was organized (June 2007) not too many soldiers showed up, I believe the group consisted of ten people, and today the turnout was modest as well, but some of the texts are promising.
Yesterday a Dutch newspaper (NRC Handelsblad) published a piece on the op-ed page by Daan Everts, NATO-ambassador in Kabul.
The text consisted of eight rhetorical questions, which Mr. Everts managed to answer in a hilarious manner.
“Do the Afghan people want foreign troops on their soil? Yes and no. The presence of foreign troops on their soil is for the Afghan people a necessary evil.”
How does Mr. Everts know this?
Do we know of any reliable polls that were conducted in Afghanistan recently?
The newspaper published this article without any comments.
Well, it’s not easy to fill the op-ed page every day.
Jan T
I will avoid many things in the Netherlands.Jan T
But of course I will continue writing.Arnon
I would suggest to speak a foreign language when you're in the Netherlands.Who convinced you to go to the AKO award ceremony?
Oscar
A certain lady would get fired if Arnon didn't attend the ceremony.On this matter he later on stated: 'Ik ben erg gevoelig voor emotionele chantage.'
ARNON Love is cold
I think the reason you are stepping out of the Dutch literature is another one: when I type the letters for love in my dutch sms dictionary KOUD pops up and I have to shift to LOVE again.....Oscar W
German? Italian?Writing & War
Heard the news of your self-imposed ostracism (it seems the Dutch word is 'schervengericht'). Will it teach them writing is even less of an Olympic sport than gymnastics? That there's a difference between 'engagement ' and jumping through hoops?It raises fascinating questions. Is the Netherlands too small for peer review polemics? Is the Netherlands too small to discuss literature in a decent manner?
The whole AKO-literary ambassadorship is ghastly, as if the public cannot understand anything said by someone who isn't a celebrity. Dutch literary events struggle in vain to transcend the dreary living room birthday party.
I cannot wait to read your 'On polemic' (Volume I. Writing as War. Part I. Precepts II. Arnon's Anthology III. Dead polemists/ Dutch masters Volume II. Writing on War. Part I. Precepts II. Arnon's Anthology III. Dutch soldiers' writings).
Suggested Motto: No writer deserves to die, though some more than others.
Arnon
Between German and Italian, I would suggest Italian. (Otherwise, Spanish.)Arnon
I would most seriously recommend you to take a course in American Sign Language (ASL). It's a wonderful thing to have the ability to converse in silence.Oscar W
American Sign Language is a wonderful suggestion. Does Laura master this language? Tonight I decided that I would like to have a baby with Laura before 2015.Arnon
Laura and I both know ASL. We look forward to converse with you in silence.A friend of ours, who lives in Chicago, is a native signer. If you're interested, we could ask her if she has time to teach you ASL. (She speaks English, and some Dutch, too.)
