Arnon Grunberg

Detachment

Great things

In the spring of 1997 my first novel was published in German translation. I travelled to Zurich where I met my publisher Daniel Keel and his wife Anna.
We had dinner; we talked about love, books and the mystic John of the Cross.
I remember this quote by John of the Cross from that evening: “Love consists not in feeling great things but in having great detachment and in suffering for the Beloved.” Both Daniel and Anna passed away. Tonight after my reading in Zurich and after having dinner with some good people of my German publishing house I had drinks with Philipp, son of Daniel and Anna. We talked about love, books and guilt – only John of the Cross wasn’t mentioned.

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