portrait of steven bloom, a writer and a teacher from heidelberg, germany
DESCRIPTION
Student project work of Amalia Oganjanyan. Two pages. January,14, 2011TRANSCRIPT
4 DW-Akademie German-American relations: A portrait of Steven Bloom Januar 2011 International Media Studies
STRANGE PROFESSION
But what Steven finds even more annoying about teaching is the necessity of giving grades. “It’s so artificial! It’s impossible to be a fair judge. I would prefer just to write comments – for example what I liked or what I found superficial”, the professor says.
Nevertheless, Steven Bloom has been teaching American studies since 1970 – in the US, Germany, Italy and Poland. And he never gets bored with it. “I read new things, try to think differently. Each class is like a performance with a certain amount of tension, but never a routine”, he explains and them confesses: “Teaching at university is a very strange profession: in order to be qualified for it you don’t need to know anything about teaching. It’s a profession of people who mostly like research and writing”.
WRITING IDENTITY
The class is over and Steven rushes back home to continue the work on his new book. He keeps impatiently looking at his watch. The only thing he wants
to do right now is writing. Steven Bloom likes to joke
that he lives behind his desk, not in Germany. Nonetheless, the town of Heidelberg, where he has spent half of his life and created most of his books, has served as a nice backdrop for his writing. Big cities no longer inspire Steven, who was born and raised in New York.
Steven writes five hours a day, but does not expect to get famous or rich from his books. Once he finishes a book, he automatically starts to think of the next one. “I’ll p ro b a b l y run out of time before I’ve run out of ideas”, says the writer laughing. He realizes that there is never a guarantee that his current novel will ever be published. And even if it does see the light – there is no guarantee that it will be sold.
The scene of his first published novel No New Jokes is set in New York in 1949-50. Its characters are American Jews – Archie Feinstein, Jack Goldfarb, Meyer Woolf, Izzy and others. They discuss the Korean War, anti-Semitism, baseball, religion or women and try to reduce the uncertainty in their lives by telling old Jewish jokes – which happens to be the specialization of professor Bloom.
Two factors make Jewish humor special, he explains: “It’s a social activity, crucial for such a verbal culture as that of the Jews. And: in a hostile world, where one cannot count on God, jokes can help to feel a little better for a moment”.
The same humorous characters inhabit Blooms second novel Stellt mir eine
Frage (Ask me a question). Steven says that he knows these characters well and likes them. “I do hear their voices. However I don’t lose the reality that it is me controlling whatever they do”, the writer adds.
His favorite character is Izzy – a young Polish Jew who fought in the World War II and is constantly seeking personal happiness. It was Steven’s
father, who served as a prototype for Izzy. He
was a real Polish Jew, who immigrated
to the US at the age of 10 and later went to North Africa and Italy with the US troops. He never told his children a n y t h i n g about his war e x p e r i e n c e , except for the fact that
A m e r i c a n cigarettes were
the main currency during that time.
DECISION FOR LIFE
Neither Bloom’s father, nor his mother have learned good English or received higher education. The best position his father had ever had was that of a cleaning man at a post office. Therefore Steven didn’t have a role model for education in his family. Since he played football in high school, he decided to get a degree in sports. However, when he saw university teachers standing in front of an audience, talking about books, it seemed like a very pleasant occupation to him. And the decision for life was made: he was to become a university teacher.
Steven’s life as a writer turned out to be tougher. Bloom says that it is easier for him to push a manuscript through a publisher in Germany than in the US. But he still tries to sell his texts in America. “If you are a writer, you have to be used to
rejections and keep trying”, he admits.
MASTER OF DIALOGUE
Bloom’s main weapon is his sense of humor. His speech is interspersed with jokes. “The master of dialogue” – this is how German newspapers called him in their literary reviews, praising his art of the conversational ping-pong. But Steven is also a curious listener who eagerly asks questions and expresses lively interest in every conversation. Maybe he is collecting material for his future books?
“As a writer I don’t have to tell the truth, my only responsibility is to be interesting”, he says. Well, some people may definitely have to beware. In autumn 2011 Steven Bloom is to release a book about the mayor of Heidelberg and his wife.
PRIVILEGED FOREIGNERS
Thirty-five years ago he followed his wife Sara, an opera singer, who came to Heidelberg to find a job. White Americans are very privileged foreigners in Germany, so the Bloom couple did not have a problem with that, Steven recalls. And thanks to their English they could integrate easily into their new society. His national identity is not principal for him, Steven admits. The most vital to him is to be a writer, father and teacher.
INTELLIGENT LEADER
Tuesday. 18.00. The library of the German – American Institute (DAI) closes for regular admission. Only members of
the Discussion group of the DAI may enter now. This club has been run by Professor Bloom for a quarter of a century. People of different ages, occupations and origins come here every week to practice their English and get a chance to discuss topics like “How patriotic should a citizen be?” or “Is honesty the best policy?”
“This man is from Taiwan, now he is a citizen of Germany”, Steven says as soon as he sees the first visitor. “But he complains that nobody perceives him as a German”, he adds. It is obvious that he knows quite a bit about the lives of the people around him, thanks to his inexhaustible attention and empathy.
No trace of the restraint and tension that professor Bloom revealed in the morning in class. His face brightens up, he gesticulates freely and jokes non-stop. “These people come here voluntarily. They have rich experience and unlike the students are very active in discussions. The only trouble here is to stop some of them talking”, Steven says all smiles.
These evenings have become an important part of the week for many p a r t i c i p a n t s . “Our leader Steven is great. I’ve never seen such an intelligent and e n t e r t a i n i n g person as him”, says a nurse Theresa Hartl, who has been a member of the discussion group for 15 years. “We
are like a big family here”.Literally, one may say. It
was here in the DAI club that Steven’s daughter Zoe met her future husband Christoph. Will this story turn into the prose of Steven Bloom? Well, that could be at least one component in the formula of his first bestseller.
“As a writer I don’t have to tell the truth: my only responsibility is to be interesting!”
by Amalia OGANJANYAN
M onday. 9.00. Small lecture room of the University of Heidelberg. Professor Steven Bloom is buried in a heap of paper, up to his ears in preparations.
He looks like a student diligently using his last minutes before a big exam. A final glimpse at his watch – and the class begins. Today Steven will guide his students through the history of America’s wars.
Completely grey-haired, with his white moustache and beard, at first glance Steven Bloom resembles a sad Santa Claus. Once he starts talking with his audience, his large eyes light up and the Santa becomes young. His very American jeans and backpack make him look even younger.
Thirty minutes are almost nothing if you have to cover the nuances of a complex political and historical topic like the one Steven has to present now. He juggles with facts, comparisons, quotes of Obama and Lincoln. But it’s still difficult to involve this young audience into discussion. Even humor doesn’t help. This annoys the professor, because he would like to reduce the distance, collaborate with his students and learn from them as well. He often thinks about his motherland, the USA, where students call their professors by first names and usually take active part in their classes.
Favorite writers: J.Joyes, V.Nabokov, I.B.Singer, P.RothFavorite music: Good one, like jazz, opera.Favorite holiday: I don’t need holidays. I have an easy life and work whenever I have a chance. Favorite time of a day: Early morning, I get up at 5.oo Are you a fatalist? I even don’t know, what destiny means. The only thing you can say about all people in a room is that they will die. The word you use more often: Yes.Can you live without writing? I would not want to.
STEVEN’S FAVORITE
JEWISH JOKE
A man is looking for something at the courtyard,
his friend asks him: - What are you looking for?
The man answers: - I lost my key.
- Are you sure you lost it here?
- No, I lost it on the road, but the light
here is better.
White
Americans
are privileged
foreigners in
Germany
LAST MINUTE QUESTIONS
Steven Bloom at a Christmas market Phot
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Januar 2011 International Media Studies German-American relations: A portrait of Steven Bloom DW-Akademie 5
The third side
CV EXTRACTS o f ST E V E n Bl o o m
by Amalia OGANJANYAN
DANIEL BURNS, A STUDENT OF ENGLISH AND HISTORY
He has grown up with Americans, has had American friends and girlfriend, which is why Daniel chose Steven’s seminar. He assumes that the topic “Americans and War” is important
for Germany because of its engagement in the military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Besides, Americans themselves seem to be cooler than for example British. This also refers to Steven. He knows a lot and can bring his knowledge across in a very clear way. As a future teacher I try to learn from him how to present a topic. If you want to get in contact with him, you can talk to him, as I did today after class, and you will see: he is open for students”, Daniel says.
ABOUT DAI
A cultural institution American House for everyone,
later German-American Institute (DAI - Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut), was founded in 1946 as a library. After the Second World War American troops returned home and left many books in Germany, which triggered the opening of English-language libraries in various German cities. This was financially supported by the American government. However since 1975 the American House has changed its name to
German-American Institute and is sponsored by German institutions.
According to Mehdy Naficy, though the old generation is still faithful to the library and books, the total amount of readers has declined over years. Therefore DAI had to expand its competences and offers special consulting services for German students interested in exchange programs in the USA and other English-speaking countries. It also has a Language school and language tandem-partnership. The social activities of the DAI include
discussion and video discussion groups, theater performance, literary readings, International women club. Besides, the institute is active in special events and programs for children, like a bilingual International Kindergarten, which proposes space for 100 children of 20 nations.
“All these activities became crucial for us. There is a big interest among Germans towards the US. The country is especially in vogue by German students as a place to continue their education”, the library director says.
1942 – born in Brooklyn, NY1977 – moved to Heidelberg1985 – first story published “Beating about the bush” 1990 – an interviewer for NPR (National Public Radio, USA) 1997 - Associated Writers Program (AWP) - Prize for Fiction1997 – No New Jokes, a novel (in 2000 a German translation Immer dieselben Witze)2000 – National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) – Award for Creative Writing2004 – Offene Ehe (Open marriage), collection of New York stories2009 – Stellt mir eine Frage (Ask me a question), a novel
Married, has two children. Zoe, 47, and David, 29
Dr. Mehdy Naficy, Library director of DAI is a col-league of Steven’s and
knows him for 18 years. Ac-cording to Naficy, Steven livens up discussions and is different from other leaders of the dis-cussion group. “He has a pecu-liar New-York sense of humor and an astute mind. Steven is a knowledgeable and wise, dy-namic and up-to-date person, always cooperative to his col-leagues”, says Mehdy Naficy.
REFERENCE OF A COLLEGUE
Naficy: “Steven brings life into the group”
CLAUDIA SCHMIDT, A STUDENT OF ENGLISH LITERATURE, CULTURE AND LINGUISTIC
Everything related to the US attracts her. Next year she is going to study in Kentucky for a year. She likes Steven’s style of lecturing, which
in her opinion comes from Steven’s personality and the American way of teaching.
“German professors are more serious, and Americans are more “light”. Steven constantly keeps changing between being serious and joking. This and the use of analogies, for example he compares wars with divorces, make his classes comprehensive and interesting”, Claudia says.
STUDENTS PRESENT STEVEN
On the edge of serious and funny
The unusual novel (No New Jokes) asserts itself in a sweet, uncanny way
in an accumulation of voices… A cogent and moving drama about a man who is terrifying decent in the fresh uncertainty of a new world… The writing here is salient, economic; the story is engaging, swift, real; the ethic quiet and huge”. Ron Carlson, Associated Writing
Programs judge
The strengthen of the novel lays in a random depiction of a milieu
and impressive people. They would like to let go of the bush but they cannot do it. Where there is no God, they clutch to the last straw.
Frankfurter Rundschau about Stellt mir eine Frage
The polyphony of the book is first to be hearable by repeated
reading, and this is one of the most lovely compliments a writer can ever receive“.Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
about Stellt mir eine Frage
STELLT MIR EINE FRAGE … A Jew runs into a synagogue and calls: Jews, Jews, I know something, ask me a question...
… A Jew is falling down from a mountainside, at the last moment he manages to grasp a bush where he can hold himself. While hanging he calls: - God, God, help me! Suddenly there resounds a voice from above: - If you trust in me, let go of the bush. - What? the Jew says. - I am the Lord, your God, the Creator of the Earth and Heaven. If you trust in me, let go of the bush. - Just a second, the Jew says. Is there anybody else whom I could talk to?...
NO NEW JOKES… Not being born is best… but who is so lucky? Not one in a million... … You know, you stopped
to think about a lot of these jokes and you could end up pretty blue. The trick is not to think. The trick is to laugh without thinking. But I’d never do it. First, I’m too scared, and second, I’m still hoping something will happen and everything’ll be okay...
… One Jew says to another Jew, I’m glad it was God who gave us the Ten Commandments. - Why is that? says the other Jew.- Because if they’d come from the government, we’d have to obey them...
OFFENE EHE… Those like me will become writers at the end, because we don’t have a talent for something else...
REVIEWS
“The writing here is silent”
WHAT BOOKS SAY ABOUT THEIR AUTHOR
Ask me a question
Claudia Schmidt
Daniel Burns
Mehdy Naficy
Steven (in the center) and his loyal co-disscussers arguing whether gossip is harmful
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