The Stalwart

During my recent return to Berlin, that city of cities, I took a stroll down Unter den Linden. And who did I find, to my utter joy, but Werner, the street bookseller; still at it, but now bundled up to ward off the frigid fall weather. I've posted on Werner before, and his contribution to my first Berlin experience is more resonant that he knows. While Werner has forgotten me, I won't forget how I asked him what German books would be good for an English speaker to start with, to better practice and learn German. I asked him this question in German and he responded in English. Thus began our lengthy conversation that consisted mostly of Werner expressing his dislike for Guenter Grass and Thomas Mann (who you'll note in the picture Werner is still smart enough to sell, because he is popular), his cynical amusement of tourists wandering up and down Unter den Linder snapping boring tourist pictures with their point & shoot digital cameras, and his wish to do late-night readings of Berlin Alexanderplatz with me to accelerate my learning of the language. Fabulous memories.

This sighting of Werner remained but a sighting, for I didn't want to bother him and knew I wouldn't buy a book. It was enough to know I'd earlier bought a Reclam copy of Kafka's Der Prozess and would now snap a picture of the man at work, making me one of the tourist "Apes" he laughs at.

Werner, keep the flame alive.