PERFORMANCE & READING IN ADOBE BOOKSTORE IN SAN FRANCISCO!

READING & PERFORMANCE in SAN FRANCISCO - ADOBE BOOKSTORE  in the Mission District at the 16th/Albion St. in San Francisco! 

 ADOBE- BOOKSTORE is so great a Secon-Hand Bookstore with wonderful people, I hope this bookstore survives the concurrency, I am sending to the people there great luck, I wish to come back there!!! http://www.sfbg.com/pixel_vision/2012/06/04/save-adobe-books

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This was my second reading at the ADOBE-BOOKSTORE in SAN FRANCISCO, now on August 16th 2012 with Evan Winchester. Evan is an actor, author and cool guy I met in Oakland, he is like my literary soulmate - he reads also German literature, and now he starts with Bohumil Hrabal, the Czech one, I gave him this present, the wonderful novel: "I served the English King". So far he should know where the inspirations comes. We had in the second part of the SHOW our show together: Performance: SERVANT & MASTER!

Evan played the Servant from my novel (parts already translated into English - read here:  http://milenaoda.blogspot.com/2011/11/english-excerpt-from-my-novel-please.html

Fotos from Marc Kockinos.

 Happy before & after reading with Evan!

The reading space at the Adobe-Bookstore.

WELCOME!!

READING OF THE POET´S MANIEFESTO, official first reading with Evan together. See the POET´S MANIFESTO:

"People poets writers don´t sleep - speak up!!!" http://milenaoda.blogspot.com/2012/08/our-manifesto-people-writers-poets-dont.html

OUR SAN FRANCISCO´S PERFORMANCE  WITH THE HAPPY END!!

Here you can see in German the BOOKTRAILER / Buchtrailer to the novel. Made by Orange Ear / Frank Nagel, Berlin 2011.

And my German publisher presents the novel here:  http://schumachergebler.de/buecher/milena-oda-nennen-sie-mich-diener 

And this was my last year (2011) reading at the Adobe-Bookstore "Ode about Oda and Odin" Poem written in English, translated into Portuguese already published in a anthology. 

VISIT WITH ME LOS ANGELES... SANTA MONICA & BEAUTIFUL ARCHITECTURE & THE BEAUTY OF THE SUN!

One of the most famous beaches in the a beachfront city in western of Los Angeles (county) is SANTA MONICA BEACH in Santa Monica Bay.

I love so much the houses there behind... what a cool architecture!!

See here some of the houses: 

Surrounded by the Pacific Palisades, a famous place where some of the writers lived like my favorite American writer Henry Miller, the German writers in Exil like Thomas Mann and Lion Feuchtwanger.... and more...

Here you can see the PIER.
And the Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome (carousel) is a National Historic Landmark. It sits on the Santa Monica Pier, which was built in 1909. The La Monica Ballroom on the pier was once the largest ballroom in the US, and the source for many New Year's Eve national network broadcasts

I don´t like that much this beach... but it is the "close" one in the city... reachable by bus and I hadn´t a car to go to another beach... well, this is fine.. just to lay on the sand and have a sunbathe... This I can enjoy... the sun, beach and ocean is still so rare for me, the middle European! I enjoy every moment with the sun & beach & strong waves of the ocean! 

I like that picture!!

Cheers!!

see more: www.MilenaOda.com

ÜBER MEINEN AUFENTHALT IN IOWA (Beitrag für den WDR3)

"Inmitten meines Herzens" der Beitrag über meinen Aufenthalt in den USA, am International Writing Program of University Iowa  in Iowa City:

"Inmitten meines Herzens"

von Milena Oda

Iowa - Iowa City! Ich fliege für 2 Monate nach Iowa!

Die USA kenne ich zwar ganz gut, aber unter dem Land IOWA kann ich mir nicht viel vorstellen. Iowa liegt in Midwest, wie man in den USA sagt. Flache fruchtbare Prärielandschaft all über all - der Maisanbau dominiert das Landschaftsbild. Iowa steht für das ländliche Amerika. Die nächstgelegene Metropole, Chicago, liegt 4 Stunden - etwa 400km entfernt. Durch Iowa fließen mächtige Flüsse wie der Mississippi und der Missouri. Spektakuläre Naturwunder, wie etwa einen Grand Canyon oder atemberaubende Wolkenkratzer wie in New York, gibt es hier nicht.

Doch wie eine Perle in der Auster liegt die Universitätsstadt Iowa City im gleichnamigen Bundesstaat. Hier wurde vor 35 Jahren das berühmte Internationale Writers Programm, von Paul Engle und seiner Frau Hualing Nieh Engle inniert. Es gilt als nicht akademische, aber international definierte Residenz. Neben diesem Program wird ein akademisches zweijähriges “Creative Writing Woskshop” für die “Ausbildung” oder Weiterbildung der angehenden Autoren, Schrifteller in den USA angeboten.

Ich bin als Stipendiatin dieses Schriftstellerprograms im Herbst 2011 an die University of Iowa eingeladen worden. Jährlich kommen bis zu 37 Autoren aus aller Welt in die Kleinstadt Iowa City. Zwei Monate schreiben sie während ihres Aufenthalts in so unterschiedlichen Genres wie Fiction, Non-Fiction, Lyrik oder Theater. Die Schriftsteller und Dichter sind in ihren Ländern meist anerkannte Autoren. Sie kommen unteranderem aus China, Tibet, Nepal, Süd- und Nordkorea, Vietnam, Pakistan, Israel, Palestina, oder Südamerika. Fünf kommen diesmal aus Europa. Wir alle haben an der Iowa City die Möglichkeit, eigene Werke weiterzuentwickeln oder neue zu verfassen. Schreiben, nichts als Schreiben wird in den nächsten Monaten der Dreh- und Angelpunkt meines Aufenthalts hier sein. Außerdem werden die Stipendiaten zu Lesungen eingeladen, nehmen an Diskusionen teil und begleiten junge Literaturstudenten bei ihren Lehrveranstaltungen.

Kreatives Schreiben ist fester Bestandteil der studentischen Ausbildung. In Plenen wird das Selbstverfaßte vorgetragen, Lyrik rezitiert. Die Universitätsstadt Iowa City ist eine idyllische amerikanische Kleinstadt, die Wege zur Literatur sind nicht weit. Im Shambaugh House, dem Zentrum für Kreatives Schreiben sammeln sich sowohl die Autoren des International Writing Programs, als auch die Studenten zu Seminaren und Lesungen. Abends begegnet sich die literarische Versammlung von Studenten und Schriftstellern in der angesagten "Prairie Lights", einer renommierten Buchhandlung, die fast täglich einen namhaften amerikanischen Autor und sein Buch vorstellt. Und noch später am Abend trifft man sich auf ein Bier oder einen Whisky in dem sogenannten Writer-Pub „Foxhead“.

So hielten es auch die anderen Autoren-Stipendiaten vor uns - zur Zeit ihres Besuchs in Iowa noch unbekannte Schriftsteller. Manche von ihnen inzwischen Nobel- oder Pulitzerpreisträger: John Banville zum Beispiel oder Arnost Lustig, Viktor Pelevin oder Orhan Pamuk.

Ins International Writing Program wurde ich mit meinem ersten Roman eingeladen. “Nennen Sie mich Diener” erschienen 2011 in deutscher Sprache. Mit Auszügen auf Englische habe ich mich beworben. Hier in Iowa gelte ich als deutsche Schriftstellerin und vertrete im Kreis der Autoren daher Deutschland. Doch ich verschweige nicht, dass in mir zwei Herzen schlagen – ein tschechisches und ein deutsches. Meine Liebe gehört zwei Sprachen und zwei Kulturen, die auf vielfältige Weise meine literarische Arbeit inspirieren. In Europa fühlt sich meine Seele zerrissen. Die wechselvollen historischen und politischen Bindungen beider Länder verhalten sich in mir wie zwei unterschiedliche Personen. Während der wenigen intensiven Monate in Iowa, versöhnen sich diese beiden Teile miteinander. Denn hier interessieren die nationalen Zerwürfnisse in Europa kaum. Hier zählt nichts mehr als die Literatur. Ein Umstand der mich sehr beglückt und meine Zuhörer fasziniert, wie ich feststelle. An der Iowa University halte ich Vorträge über meine literarische Arbeit, lese aus meinen Essay über die Freiheit des Schriftstellers im Radio in New York:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/odamilena/2011/11/28/literary-critical-essay-dogs-freedom oder werde zur Radio-Talkshow in New York eingeladen http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lugaduga/2011/11/28/frank-talk-with-frank-ferrante-to-live-and-grow-up-in-germ. Die Studenten der literarischen Klassen interpretieren meinen Roman, meine Gedichte und mein Theaterstück. Es ist eine Freude, die Arbeit an meinem Schreiben teilen zu können. Anchliessende Lesereisen führen mich nach San Francisco, nach Washington DC und New York.

Doch vorallem erinnere ich mich an die kleine Stadt im Midwest. Und wenn mich jemand wieder fragt, wo liegt Iowa? Sage ich: Inmitten meines Herzens!

Dieser Beitrag wurde im WDR3 ausgestrahlt, - hier nochmal als Audio zu hören:

http://www.wdr3.de/resonanzen/details/artikel/wdr-3-resonanzen-cd0fe68e1d.html
Mehr zu mir & meinen Büchern& T-Shirt: http://www.milenaoda.com/
Oder Blog auf Deutsch & Cesky: http://www.milenaoda.wordpress.com/

Capitol in Iowa City, mein tagtäglicher Weg.

 Mit dem Direktor Christoph Merill vom International Writings Program.

In "Foxhead" gab es immer was zu trinken, zu spielen und zu besprechen... man konnte unentweg plaudern! Siehe die Männer von Iowa City! 

Deutsches Haus in Grinnell College Campus, at my reading-tour in Iowa

 Reading and discussion with Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian writer, the Nobel Prize for Literature in Shambaugh House.

Dort gab es und gibt es Tschechen, auch sie werden eingeladen: hier "Beseda Lidu" in der brühmten "Prairie Lights" Buchhandlung.

IOWA CITY. Mein tagtäglicher Spaziergang.

Das Stadtzentrum ist einfach, ohne historische Denkmäler.

 Mit Natascha Durovic, Landsfrau aus der Slowakei, die schon Ewigkeit dort lebt... aber so alt ist sie nicht, immer frisch und offen, toll, dass sie dort ist!!

Das war die Ankündigung meiner Lesung mit der Begleitung mit Garett Chase am Klavier, und mit meinem T-Shirt, "fucking" vorsichtig versteckt in the Buchhandlung: The Haunted Bookstore.  Hier draußen mache ich eine Reading Performance:

siehe das Video: Milena Live from Iowa City!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZbsvGPR5lQ

 

PART 6: GOOD BYE IOWA CITY...

Two weeks before the End of the IWP happened a lot. I had several readings in Iowa City, at the German Department of Iowa University, a discussion at the Creative Writing Workshop of Iowa Univ. and a reading of my essay "Dog´s Freedom" of my essay on the radio KRUI in Iowa City.
You can listen to it here, podcast from New York, in the original version. In the public radio - here in Iowa City KRUI  - in the USA one cannot say any "rude" word  - and I did, I said my slogan: TWO TIMES! fuck! - without knowing the consequences:: 60 thousand dolars is the sentence, they told me after my life reading.:: Hui!Hui!... Goddness blessed me, all went well, a big relief! Good people, good purpose! There fore there isn´t it any other possibilty to hear my reading in Iowa City on the radio KRUI again... but I could read it again in New York, this was free:. Enjoy (a short version)! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/odamilena/2011/11/28/literary-critical-essay-dogs-freedom
I was also invited to read at the German - American Heritage Center in Davenport, in state Iowa.

 On the road to Davenport I had a great surprise: I saw the large river MISSISSIPPI. Wow, I love it, so big, large!! This river has really an attraction, a spirit, no wonder there are some songs about this monument.... This a visibel bridge ove the river Mississippi in Davenport. Walk & Talk.

  I was also invited for the reading to the private College in Grinnell, there is a famous German departement. I had a reading there in German and participated at a school- workshop. There I was speaking about my work at the German radio WDR3in Cologne. I was surprised there were only 6 students. Well, I was reminded this was a private college for a few students, not public, where are more than 15.
And had a reading in The Haunted Bookshop in Iowa City, accompanied by the wonderful piano player ("booggie, wooggie-style") Chase Garett. In IC is he well known piano player. Later in the week I visited his amazing concert at the Englers Theater in Iowa City. He was the first one I got to know in IC. I invited him to my reading to play on piano - exactly there where we met for the first time!! He accepted kindly my invitation and made my reading of my poetry lively. I was reading inside of the bookstore, but also outside - there is one piano standing in front of the Café "Tea Spoons". It was a wonderful reading with the Iowans! In Iowa City, in the bookstore The Haunted Bookstore you can buy my T-Shirts with my slogan "I am a writer not a fucking besteseller", some people bought it during my reading - so far in Iowa City I already have my fans, thank you! One reader also bought my novel n German: Nennen Sie mich Diener.

And the last but not at least to Iowa City was invited to a ceremony:
I was as other writers participated on the International Writing Program and therefore in the end AWARDED THE TITLE OF HONORARY FELLOW IN WRITING (see above the photo) by the University Iowa City. (see later the document I attach here).
Our final stay we enclosured with the reading of Wole Soyinka in the Englert Theater in Iowa City.
I packed and packed, books and papers, I had to send some packages to New York! How I deliver them to Europe? I think I must stay in the USA... I build here up my new library, even moving library in the luggage... They shipped our luggage to New York, and we could easily fly to Washington DC!
On November 8th I left (with all the writers) and said GOOD BYE to IOWA CITY and all people I got to know, there were a few I will miss! For example the German-American artist Hans Breder.  With the musician, fantastic bluess player Chase Garett we would like to continue on our common preformance...  Three students -  Alex, Jeniffer and Evelyn  - and their professor Jon -  from the Media Art Departement: New Media and Literary Research of Iowa Universiry chose me to focus on me as a writer and to collect all documents published about me and from me. What an honour! I say: thank you; this is a gift from you, Iowa City.
I was delighted to speak with them in their class about my way... as a young writer, living between two cultures: Czech and German. They write about me an absolut detailed bibliography and made with me a video, photo album... And there is also a student who likes to translate my play "Mehr als Meer" into English. We have already managed a part of it...
As the guide Lonely Planet comments: The US president´s way to the White House leads through Iowa, - I adjust it to my way, if you allow it to me - the writer´s way to Parnass of the Literature leads also through Iowa, exactly through Iowa City (International) Writings Program.

Helás! Good bye Iowa City!

I had a very enriching time there!
PS: See you soon, Iowa sure sure sure!
I know I have friends there!

Daily  coffee drink in Tea Spoons. Nice people in there.

Daily walk & jogging along the river Iowa, direct next to my hotel.

Daily walk along the Capitol.

The Haunted Bookshop in Iowa City.

At the "Foxhead" my favorite pub in IC:

This is my absolute favorite building, guess who is the architect??  - Frank Gehry.

Photos from Iowa City by Evelyn Aguilar.

ESSAY: DOG´S FREEDOM (Oct.2011) Iowa City&Chicago Panel discussion (short version)

MILENA ODA

 Dog´s freedom

There is an aphorism from Franz Kafka I always remember when I speak about freedom: “A cage in search of a bird.” I would like to adjust it for my essay to say: “A chain in search of a dog”.

My motto is: “I am a writer, not a fucking bestseller.” I created it not for the provocation, but because I felt it to be a truth. Sure I know that the freedom in this motto is limited. The basic sense is this: the writer is an individual; the bestseller is a part of the system, and happy.

There is a chain of fast food in the US called Jack-in-the-Box. I visited one recently; during my quick visit to Spokane, I found only fast-food restaurants on the highway. The feeling of sitting there and actually being a jack-in-the box, chained to simple, unhealthy food, made me vomit.

They put us in this prison, in that box. When they told me that, first and foremost, I was Eastern European and I should write about my experiences as Eastern European, about the politics. Shall I do violence to my soul and mind, and start writing what the literary business demands from me? No. My mind is not committed to politics. Politics in literature is for me nothing more than nonsense.

 I started becoming ill; when they put me and my literature in that cage and told me “You are not needed, if you don’t write as we wish,” I got crazy. What madness, being useless! This was the absolute precipice; after this there was nothing else, only madness or fortunate survival through a great miracle… Being a writer and not fitting in with the current topics, the current spirit or melody in the framework of a society is like being a jack-in-the box – popping up and down, suffering and howling to be noticed while still alive. Must the writer suffer? Not rich, not accepted. Hm. I don’t want to suffer; I want to live a good life as a needed, respected writer…and enrich and motivate the others. Limitations shouldn’t damage creativity. I see this not as a grotesque game but as a serious one. To have no means for communication as an unnecessary writer, with nothing but humanity – no readers for my writing, no audience for my performances – is what I dread most, like all creative souls. We know many examples of such writers from the world´s literature.

But one thing is clear: I say loudly - Milena, a new regime is being formed. A quick switch from communism into the new art of oppression and of limitations for art, the so called Media-Regime. Media dominate us and set the rules of the freedom. This limited freedom of creativity and expression is the first sign of a world gone wrong! No more kindred spirits! Human beings are walking towards stupidity.

What a blessing to be a writer, to be able to sense hidden truths. I know there is something wrong about politics? And about the world’s hidden social structures that make individuals anxious. I see young and old people demonstrating. Now! In NYC, in Chicago, even in Iowa City - all over the world. I took part in “Occupy Chicago”. I prompt my soul to go on strike, too. I want to create a revolution in literature. I will start that revolution! It is fate that forces me to forsake my power and my courage. I am not giving up fighting. I fight for my freedom and for the freedom of being a writer! I am a writer, not a fucking best seller! I don’t want literature to become fast food literature, the literature of business and empty profit.

I am convinced that I can act, not just carry a story through action like a chained dog, but also to register emotions and portray a real character with my individual loves, loyalties, and hates. Literature must become individual again, to the same degree that it had been for ages in Europe.     

Hold on, writer, if you don’t fit in this current world. The world is still changing. I have a vision. I am keeping on track, not on the chain, not in the cage. I’ll start the revolution as a fucking writer!

Chicago/Iowa City, 10.10.2011

More: www.milenaoda.com