To see a city: Berlin is never Berlin
#scurf213: A reading list on Die Hauptstadt
“I have long, indeed for years, played with the idea of setting out the sphere of life—bios—graphically on a map,” wrote Walter Benjamin in 1932. He was trying to translate Marcel Proust at the time and was influenced by the French master. Benjamin was by then already a fairly widely known German-Jewish intellectual who was trying to explore his personal childhood memories in Berlin as rampant fascism was transforming the face of the city and country. The result of this attempt was his book Berlin Childhood Around 1900 (1938). The book was a complex, but direct setting down of his experiences in specific, special, physical public and personal spaces of his Berlin.
The city of Berlin has been at the centre of much conversation around it being eternally poor, endlessly colourful but also openly notorious. Famous writers like Benjamin, Nabokov and now living legend Jenny Erpenbeck not only spent time there, but also wrote immensely philosophical nonfiction on the city. It then becomes vital, even indispensable, to consider how the writers of the current time and milieu capture, shape and anthromorphise the city through their work. Now home to some of my favouriter writers, essayists — Ryan Ruby, Lauren Oyler, Alexander Wells — Berlin has meant more than just a big city to me. I’ve only been there on a handful of occasions but each time out and about in its elements, the dust, the fumes and winding long auto-bahns have made me feel infernally alive.
As Benjamin wrote, “A remembered event is infinite, because it is merely a key to everything that happened before it and after it.” In this list, I try to cover the work of essayists, journalists, and critics alike -- to give a prismatic glimpse into the ever-evolving palimpsest-like nature of the city. “To look,” John Berger once wrote, “is an act of choice.” So what I see through these essays will be different from what you read, which will further be at a remove (or two) from what the writer’s meant for us to read. Here I implore you to choose to look at these essays, read them deeply, really get to know the city, a little bit through the lens of these authors. Hope you enjoy these and share in comments if you know of more such recent essays! Post 🍻
1. Halensee (Ryan Ruby, Harper's Magazine):
In this memoir, Ryan Ruby shares his reading of Berlin from the lens of Nabokov and discovering the ordinary essence of the city depicted in his novels. Ruby reflects on the profound connection between his own son's birth in the same neighborhood where Nabokov's son, Dmitri, was born. Through this journey, he embraces Nabokov's non-linear concept of time, which he believes has the power to elevate the significance of everyday life, going beyond mere "milestones".
2. Where history never lets you be (Deborah Cole, AFP):
Through vivid descriptions and personal anecdotes, Cole's reported essay works to highlight the resilience of Berlin's inhabitants. Here she writes about the ongoing efforts to rebuild and reconcile after the wars and how stories always lead us to more than we might know. This piece is also important as soon after publication, it reached a 97-year-old Jewish woman in Australia in 2021. "In the middle of the pandemic, we began to share a story that connects us," Cole says. The essay and its subsequent follow-up, are poignant reminders of the enduring power of history and the human spirit in shaping the collective history of humanity.
3. A murder in Berlin (Susanna Forrest, Longreads):
In this essay, Forrest explores the themes of placemaking, belonging, and the enduring sense of being an outsider. Drawing a parallel between herself and the crows that inhabit both the physical landscape and her own being, she delves into the complexities of noncommittal attitudes and avoiding blending in. Throughout the essay, Forest maintains a restrained prose, mirroring her presence in Berlin.
4. Club Oblivion (Liam Cagney, Tolka Journal):
This memoir offers a deep exploration of Berlin's club scene, providing musicological insights and shedding light on the intricate dynamics of these nights. Cagney goes deep into the boundaries pushed within these environments, and nights, making us often the people we become. The resultant essay is a deeply tendered and surprising meditation on the extent to which things can unfold in these settings.
5. Really Techno (Julia Bell, The White Review):
Julia Bell's 2018 essay searches through Berlin's techno music culture, exploring its deep roots and influence on the city's overall identity. From storied clubs like Berghain to the underground rave scene, Berlin's techno culture has come to assume a stance that is synonymous with freedom of expression and also a celebration of individuality. Through this essay, Bell shares a compelling glimpse into Berlin's unchanging spirit, revealing how it continues to evolve as a global centre for electronic music and avant-garde exploration.