Harry´s Blog

Mike’s Letter

This is from a letter I received some years ago from a letter
by the late Emile (Mike) Capouya, who was my friend and mentor.
I inserted it in my non-fiction novel, “Der Auschluss: Memoiren eines Neununddreissigers” (Memoirs of a 39er: a novel of sorts).

“In the course of your literary adventures, you take up with terrible people, partly due to good will and naiveté, and partly because you feel compelled to embrace whatever possibilities seem to present themselves in such questionable individuals. Blank is a good example of the kind of man you would do well to avoid, and you have often given me accounts of other associates who make him look good.”

Mike went on.

“You seem to have come to the point where you can begin to see that your long struggle has been misguided. You are a worthy member of a noble calling, a novelist, a poet, a playwright, a translator and you have never trafficked in trash. You are unfit to be a star because you are not a clown, a showman or an inspired ham. The fact that some good writers are household names, is under our conditions a coincidental; most of the household names are clever-stupid people.”

German Translation

“Im Laufe Deiner literarischen Abenteuer hast Du Dich mit furchtbaren Leuten eingelassen - teils aus Gutmütigkeit und Naivität, teils, weil Du glaubst, alle Möglichkeiten, die sich Dir bieten, ergreifen zu müssen. Blank hättest Du besser aus dem Weg gehen sollen, und Du hast mir öfters von anderen Verbindungen erzählt, die sogar ärger waren.”

Und Mike fuhr Fort:

“Du scheinst an einem Punkt angelangt zu sein, an dem Du endlich begreifst, daß Dich Dein langer Kampf in die Irre geführt hat. Du bist ein würdiges Mitglied eines edlen Berufsstandes - Romancier, Lyriker, Dramatiker, Übersetzer - und Du hast Dich nie mit Schund befaßt. Du bist nicht zum Star geeignet, weil Du kein Clown, kein Schmierenkomödiant bist und Dich nicht in Szene setzen kannst. Die Tatsache, daß einige gute Autoren in der Öffentlichkeit bekannt sind, ist ein Zufall, denn die meisten bekannten Autoren sind geistreich-stupide Leute.”

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Austrian Patron of the Arts

Herbert  Kuhner

Monsignor Otto Mauer, pater familias of the actionists, was the official Catholic “caretaker of souls” for artists. In the Nineteen-Fifties Mauer, was instrumental in introducing modern art to post-war Austria. He founded the “Galerie St. Stephan” in Vienna and promoted such avant-garde artists as Wolfgang Hollegha, Josef  Mikl und Markus Prachensky.

However, artists came on the scene, whose work transcended theirs in sensationalism. Rather than using such materials as canvass, wood and stone, they used the human body, its fluids and secretions. These pioneers worked individually and as a group under the name of the Vienna Actionists, and Mauer concentrated his efforts on promoting them. With his backing, they set about conquering the International Art World, and indeed the trend has spread like wildfire.

Luminaries of the movement are Otto Mühl, Hermann Nitsch, Günter Brus, Peter Weibel, Valie Export and Rudolf Schwarzkogler.

The motto épater le bourgeois was replaced by emmerder le monde. Public sado-masochism and brutality were the means.

Here is background material:

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Herbert Kuhner

Markus Wolf, as head of East German Intelligence, oversaw the training of male charmers, who were termed “Romeos,” in the arts of seduction and sexual techniques. These professional Lotharios were set upon West German secretaries for the purpose of obtaining information. The Romeos married their victims, when that was called for. Especially diligent Romeos often had more than one spouse. It was all for a worthy cause, at least that’s what Wolf and his colleagues claimed. The GDR is long gone and Wolf, the distinguished intellectual thinker, is no longer among us.

Now we have “Wolves” who train young girls to carry explosive belts that are set off by remote control when the girls are in a crowd. Some of the girls have lost a father, brother or husband and are already motivated. The Wolves exploit their grief and train them to take vengeance on innocent people. Other girls just happen to be in the proximity of the Wolves.

Men always find new ways of exploiting women. In my view Markus Wolf was the foremost panderer in human history and Wolf Pack consists of the foremost murderers of women to yet set foot on Earth.

I can only ask what next?!

Herbert Kuhner

Van Gogh’s predominant color is yellow, yellow as bright as the sun when it’s at its brightest.

In spite of the fact that his brother Theo was an art dealer, he never had an exhibit and he sold only one painting. He lived in the good old days of art, and many of his contemporaries did well. I don’t want to name them here, because every man named would share the shame of not having helped him.

Now, when art is in its last throes, and the charlatans and hucksters are driving the knife in, Van Gogh’s paintings are sold and auctioned off for millions. This is an obscenity. Van Gogh’s work has become just another commodity.

Like many geniuses, Van Gogh could not master life. And as far as love is concerned, he fell for the wrong woman time and time again.

Toward the end, an art dealer recognized the value of his work and waited to be able to exploit him posthumously.

The man’s daughter offered to pose for Van Gogh in the nude. Posing was not her only intention. She wanted to reveal herself as a prelude to being deflowered. She had fallen in love, and passion had given her the courage to be foolhardy.

But instead of opting for the joy of viewing her nudity, painting her and taking the love she offered, he refused.

The pretext was that her father would not approve, which certainly would have been the case. The art dealer had plans for his daughter. And they did not include modeling in the nude or squandering her virginity on the moribund artist. Nor did he wish to delay the artist’s departure.

The truth is that Van Gogh was too far gone to respond. Instead of taking another chance on life, he chose death.

Herbert Kuhner

Not too long ago, an Austrian cultural notable made the following advocation: “When democracy is endangered, it is legitimate to consider assassination. Hitler grew out of a democratic state and was elected….Must we wait until there is such a development, until there is a totalitarian situation, before we shoot?”

In my humble view this is not what democracy is about. Democracy should consist of a peaceful exchange of ideas which are then put to the ballot by their proponents.

Well, the person “targeted” by the afore-quoted statement is no longer among us. And what do we have? Do we have a land of sweetness and light in which democracy is not “endangered?” Is there now a new target, or targets?

If such an advocation would be adhered to, there would not be one assassination, but rather a St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.

Herbert Kuhner

My very best friend has a picture of George and Laura in his office. I let him know that as long as that photo remained in that place of honor, I’d have one of that charming couple Adolf and Eva H. in my bedroom.

Okay put Adolf down, but lay off Eva! Wasn’t her love as pure as can be? Adolf may have been a monster to others, but he was Eva’s ideal. Isn’t that what true love is about?! Loving someone in spite of all his imperfections. Well, needless to say, Adolf isn’t exactly my favorite historical figure, so I’ll leave that romance be.

Back to George! He’s an anathema to me, and I can’t stop using him as negative subject-matter.

Strangely enough, the friend I mentioned is not the only friend I have who has such a lapse in taste. But I should make a resolution to stop rubbing it in. Don’t the Bush adherents suffer enough? Do they need me to make matters worse?

Herbert Kuhner

Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh
have been awarded the coveted
the Golden Poison Pen for the most effective
Hate-Mongering, Mudslinging and Backbiting
in our time
Both Ann and Rush accepted their Poison Pens
graciously with charm and modesty
and promised to try to be worthy
of this prestigious award.

The two winners had no difficulty in edging
out the contenders Sean Hannity, Michael Savage,
Bill O’Reilly and demure Michelle Malkin.

Rush and Ann are the top pundits
of the Grand Old Party having replaced
such milquetoasts as Bill Buckley and Bill Rusher.
Those wimpy eggheads of yore are a thing of the past.
No shilly-shallying or soft-pedaling for Ann and Rush.

Red meat is what they have at hand
and it couldn’t be juicier or more,
pardon the expression - red.

A gal couldn’t be tougher than Ann.
She’s made the case for right-wing feminism.
and she’s right up there with Rush
in malice and jingoism.
Actually she could teach him a thing or two.

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