To the left: my audience this evening at bookstore Kurt Heymann in Hamburg.
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof organized for the second time the Iraq Poetry Contest.
This poem by Frances Richey was picked up by Kristof and he quotes it in his column this week: "Last Mother’s Day, when he was incommunicado, nothing came.
Three days later, a message in my box; a package, the mail room closed.
I went out into the lobby, banged my fist against the desk. When they gave it to me, I clutched it to my chest, sobbing like an animal.
I spoke to no one, did not apologize ..."

Shouldn’t a Dutch (or French for that matter) columnist be organizing the Afghanistan Poetry Contest?

As to the mark for the bookstore this evening: I think a 9 is fair. One of the employees at the bookstore was rather likable, unfortunately we were not able to speak to each other, but even without this lady it would have been a happy evening.

My "amante" didn't like this last remark very much.

As somebody who strives to avoid conflict I might delete it in the near future.

The people seated next to me at Kurt Heymann bookstore in Hamburg