David Albahari Reading
David Albahari reads from his book, Götz and Meyer. He begins by discussing his time spent in the International Writing Program in 1986, and how those experiences have informed his writing since. Albahari goes on to explain that all of his novels are written in one long paragraph, joking that perhaps the cause is that the ‘enter’ key on his keyboard doesn’t work. He claims that this style serves as a long labyrinth, where the only way out is through the end of the book.
During a question and answer session, Albahari gives a brief historical background of his novel. The tale follows the lives of Götz and Meyer, two SS soldiers during WWII that were stationed at a concentration camp in Belgrade. Albahari points out that his impetus for writing the work was to sort through in his mind how these “normal people” could commit such atrocities. Albahari explains his research that was performed at the Jewish Historical Museum in Belgrade, and how that research led him to meet the daughter of the man who had sanctioned the mass killings in Belgrade.
Albahari ends by discussing his writing process, explaining that although he currently lives in Canada, he still writes his novels in Serbian. He explains that he had previously attempted to write his novels in English originally, but found that it interrupted his writing flow.
In: "Live from Prairie Lights" Audio Archive | Fiction
Authors: David Albahari
Date Recorded: December 01, 2005
Works Read: Götz and Meyer, by David Albahari
Program: Live From Prairie Lights
Format: reading
Contributors: Introduction by host Julie Englander.
Topics: Holocaust, Serbia, writing styles, historical research