One is a CROWD – Lilly Jäckl

Literature as a European mother tongue: In our series “One is a CROWD”, we introduce you to authors from all over Europe who will be involved in the CROWD omnibus reading tour, taking place from May to July 2016, featuring 100 authors who will be travelling through 15 European countries. We asked them three questions about text production, reception and mediation. In case you were wondering what a literary activist between Berlin and Graz looks like, meet Lilly Jäckl

Do you see yourself as an author? Are you the originator and main authority of your text? And if not, who is, if anyone at all?

I see myself as a writing machine. I think the trouble in my head, which is caused by research in fields of human nature, often follows a singing bird which seems to be captured in my heart. When these two meet, they like to play with each other and produce texts. Sometimes my brain likes to wash and clean itself and joins those two. This is how the crazy stuff is formed into bigger pieces like a novel, screenplay for film or theater or a book.

Reading is writing is reading is writing …  – why, and if, how?

No, it’s not. There are so many different motivations to write – one for example is the impossibility of speech itself. This has nothing to do with reading, but writing. By writing you try to find a language for the unspeakable. Writing also allows you to think deeply about problems and solve them. Automatic Writing has also nothing to do with reading. I can read your face, but I can’t write your name, or is that the other way around?

Which literary event fascinated you most and why? (Please give a link to the website of the event)

I don’t like most of the literary events around. I also don’t go to readings that often because a lot of authors are very talented writers, but not readers. I find it hard to follow the text in these situations – they simply don’t take me on an adventure. So I prefer reading texts by myself, or just going to a reading when I’m curious about the person behind the text, or if the text is part of something bigger, like a performance, for example. But I do have something for you. Here you’ll find a piece from the beautiful international Zeitkunst Event 2012. I directed the whole show – A TRIBUTE TO JOHN CAGE – and worked with international authors to realise a bigger vision.


Photo © Fabian Gehweiler

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