Frank Behrendt: The club of the living poets

F. Behrendt: The guru of serenity
The Club of Living Poets – culture live again at last

When my two siblings and I think back to our youth, it was part of our family’s broad educational program that we were regularly taken to readings. Of course, even then, that wasn’t exactly the type of event where we shaggy teenagers shouted “Hurray” in our storm and stress times. Especially on evenings when the alternative “Janssens Tanzpalast” in the little village of Lüdingworth lured people with loud music, smart classmates on the dance floor and a few coke rum at the bar. “Culture is important, Halligalli can wait”, my father ended the discussions with an energetic voice.

So we plodded along to the city library or the large bookstore in Cuxhaven. There we listened in freshly ironed shirts and bell-bottoms to the grandees of the literary scene of the time: Martin Walser, Christa Wolf, Peter Handke or Thomas Bernhard. It wasn’t until years later that we really realized which outstanding personalities we had been sitting across from our folding chairs.

The evenings were always better than we had initially thought, because the speakers didn’t just read from their works. There was also an introduction by the well-read librarian or the extremely literary staff of the well-stocked bookstore. At the end, the guests were allowed to ask the authors questions. There was often a lively discussion.

My father, who as a German teacher was naturally deeply involved in the subject, was always at the forefront. I can’t remember a single evening that he didn’t add an interesting question to. I have always admired that and anyone who knows me knows that I do the same today. “We have a mouth to speak and to ask questions” was one of the many wisdoms of my old man, all of which I have saved on the hard drive of the memories, because they are simple but true.

Literature live with Steffen Kopetzky

Together with my wife, I have always enjoyed going to concerts, exhibitions, the cinema or the theater since we met. Also for poetry readings. We missed these evenings extremely during the lockdown and massive restrictions. So there was no question for us that we would attend a cultural event in the evening on the occasion of our wedding anniversary. Fill up on inspiration, listen, enjoy again without children.

There was a reading as part of the Cologne festival “Literature in the Houses of the City”. The idea is simple, but good: Culture sponsors and word enthusiasts invite you to private rooms, offices, lofts, gardens and on roof terraces. The hosts welcome authors, actors and audiences and offer modern literature an exceptional platform. The personal atmosphere, delicious wines and the close contact between the performers and the audience make the events a special experience.

My wife and I listened to bestselling author Steffen Kopetzky. So far, I only knew him in the audio version, because his work “Risks” had accompanied me as an audio book through the night during a long drive. Recently I was a guest with him on the podcast “Books & Sports” by TV coach and soccer reporter Christian Sprenger. So now live. We were punctually in Cologne’s Rheinauhafen, looked out the window, enjoyed the wonderful evening atmosphere. There he sat, on a bench, in front of the silhouette of the gigantic crane houses, which regularly serve the chief inspectors Ballauf and Schenk in the Cologne crime scene as a visually stunning backdrop.

Carnival and the plague

Author Kopetzky looked after the passing ships on the Rhine, made notes, a glass of white wine next to him. A writer’s idyll par excellence. And then he started. The man with the gray Lagerfeld-like ponytail read from his recently published work “Monschau”. It’s about love in a state of emergency in the city of the same name. Smallpox broke out there on Carnival days. Bred in by a mechanic who worked in India. Almost a déjà vu of the corona outbreak with us.

Kopetzky’s story is based on real facts, he did extensive research, and the rapid economic growth of the young Federal Republic comes to life in his book. In between, he talked entertainingly on stage how he came across the material of this little-known chapter of German history, talked to contemporary witnesses, and put the pieces of the puzzle together to make the book. The audience hung on his every word. When he read a chapter in which the doctor, who came from Greece, first took part in a Rhenish carnival event, collective hilarity broke out in the salon of the German Sports and Olympic Museum. The presenting author was clearly delighted that his performance was so well received. He also visibly enjoyed the minutes of applause and at the end made a stylish bow.

Because we had so much fun with literature live again, my wife and I booked the next reading straight away: At the end of October we will be listening to Frank Schätzing on the occasion of the upcoming lit.Cologne. He then reads from his current book on climate issues: “What if we just save the world?” We are happy to be there – in every respect.