Too bad, too bad. It was a very interesting conversation. Luckily enough Mr Nooteboom did not seem too disturbed about your absence, and if he was he didn't show it. I trust you are not going to miss out on Nicholas Kristof, by the way...

Arnon

Shouldn't you be resting from jetlag?

Nicholas Kristof, a very well informed man, I remember from the early days of the last Iraq crisis and war. All the best information needed was available those days to everybody, on newspapers, TV (Arte !) and the internet, without much effort.
That is why I get angry every time somebody, especially politicians, say ‘they did not know’ about the lies on weapons of mass destruction.

Eva van C

What exactly made the conversation so interesting?

I am not blown away by that link on Biller, I must say.

Biller/Esra

Arnon
I read about him and his forbidden novel.
What do you think about this matter? In what degree can a writer use his relations in his work? What is the limit?
And: should I read Biller?

Dens

Have you tried Mr Biller's short stories listed under "Calendar"?

Arnon

Thank you so much for the Maxim Biller-link. I love the song. It´s depressing , sarcastic, cynical and somehow funny-and all at the same time.
Gehen wir nicht alle irgendwie zugrunde?

But above all it´s funny. I couldn´t stop laughing when I heard it the first time.

Berlin

I love the song too.
It reminds me of the months I lived in Berlin.

PS

PS Biller has the same eyebrows as Bert from Sesame Street.

Manon

Yes, I like the song better than some of Biller's stories.
Here's the link to buy the cd:
http://www.amazon.de/Tapes-Maxim-Biller/dp/B0009271J2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1195621371&sr=8-2

Mr Grunberg being in good company

Excuse me. Just a modest inbetween....two short notes on mr grunberg

http://harryprenger.wordpress.com/2007/11/03/arnon-grunbergs-dodelijke-begeerte/

http://harryprenger.wordpress.com/2007/10/28/woordkunstenaars/

@Arnon

Late reply to Nooteboom-question; interesting was the part of the talk about Europe, and changes in the political climate in certain European countries in the last decades. This was not about the Netherlands (luckily enough?)but about Spain and, to a lesser extend, Germany. The focus was not the 'spurr of the moment', things were placed in a broader perspective; how did Spain overcome its past (Franco-regime), how does that past still affect Spain today? Then there was also a lot of talk about tomb-stones of famous poets and authors, that interested me slightly less but that given the fact that you have declared yourself a 'dead author' and given the photo you chose for today's entry might have interested you...