Arno Schmidt – författare

Den oefterhärmlige avantgardisten och experimentatorn Arno Schmidt (1914–1979) hör till den tyska och europeiska efterkrigslitteraturens mest nyskapande författare. Med sitt säregna språk och sin lika drastiska som svarta humor blottlägger han den mänskliga dårskapen med samma sprängverkan som han frigör det ohämmade fabulerandets nödvändiga motkraft. Efter utgivningen av samlingsvolymen Tidiga skrifter (2022), bestående av sex separata Schmidt-titlar, ger Ekphrasis förlag nu ut en kommenterad utgåva av den dystopisk-satiriska romanen De lärdas republik (1957) i översättning av Martin Lagerholm. Här får läsaren bekanta sig med en amerikansk journalist genom dennes reserapport från en flytande ö i Sargassohavet. Efter ett globalt förödande kärnvapenkrig utgör ön en tillflyktsort för överlevande konstnärer och vetenskapsmän som strävar efter att rädda civilisationen med sin ”idealstat” för de lärde. En högtflygande utopi som under Schmidts vassa penna snarare utvecklar sig till en postapokalyptisk fars.

Den prisbelönta svenska spelfilmen Egghead Republic (regi: Pella Kågerman och Hugo Lilja), med världspremiär hösten 2025, baserar sig på Schmidts nu aktuella roman.

Arno Schmidt (1914–1979), en av den tyska efterkrigslitteraturens mest udda figurer, var en särling som stakade ut helt egna labyrintiska stigar i det bokliga landskapet. Med sina formexperiment, litterära referenser, skruvade framtidsskildringar och svarta humor har hans verk fortsatt att fascinera och utmana läsare världen över. Tidiga skrifter är en kommenterad textsamling bestående av sex prosaverk – Leviathan, Ur en fauns liv, Brand’s Hed, Svarta speglar, Tina och Goethe – i urval och originalöversättningar av Martin Lagerholm.

A dual narrative of pastoral innocence and postapocalyptic survival, Arno Schmidt’s monumental and fiercely inventive novel returns as a definitive edition.The novel weaves together two unforgettable worlds: a quiet weekend in the German countryside in the 1950s, and a stark colony on the moon, where the last survivors of a nuclear war endure a tense, lingering Cold War. Through this inventive double story, Arno Schmidt crafts a biting satire of political divisions, a moving reflection on what we preserve when civilization crumbles, and an intimate portrait of a couple seeking a way forward. A dazzling and demanding masterwork of linguistic play and formal innovation, B/Moondocks stands as the brilliant culmination of Schmidt’s early period, a clear gateway to his late masterworks, and a powerful testament to his status as the essential, experimental titan of post-war German literature. B/Moondocks is an audacious work of science fiction, with its stark vision of ideological conflict and cultural survival, feels unnervingly prescient in our own politically fractured age.

Food is central to daily religious practice and holiday celebrations the world over. For instance, Orthodox Jews keep kosher, Muslims feast after fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, and Hindus leave food offerings in the temple for the dieties. For many, food is seen as nourishment for the body and soul. This cookbook illuminates the food practices of followers of the world's major religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Shintoism. The narrative and nearly 300 recipes give a flavor of what is often eaten for sacred occasions and why. This volume will be useful for a range of cooks and purposes. It is targeted to middle school age to adults. Those looking for more and different recipes for religion class assignments and International Week Food Festival or even for browsing will be richly rewarded with a one-stop resource.Each chapter covers a religion or two with similar food practices. A brief overview of the religion is followed by a discussion of any dietary restrictions. Then the recipes are organized by holiday or special occasion, featuring from appetizers to desserts. Recipes are culled from a variety of countries and cultures where the religion is practiced. The recipes are contextualized and have clear instructions for the novice cook. A final section in some chapters allows readers to recreate what the religion's founder or major figures might have eaten during their lifetime. A glossary defines what might be unfamiliar cooking terms and food and kitchen items. An introduction, list of recipes, conversion measurements, bibliography, index, and illustrations round out the cookbook.

Food is central to daily religious practice and holiday celebrations the world over. For instance, Orthodox Jews keep kosher, Muslims feast after fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, and Hindus leave food offerings in the temple for the dieties. For many, food is seen as nourishment for the body and soul. This cookbook illuminates the food practices of followers of the world's major religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Shintoism. The narrative and nearly 300 recipes give a flavor of what is often eaten for sacred occasions and why. This volume will be useful for a range of cooks and purposes. It is targeted to middle school age to adults. Those looking for more and different recipes for religion class assignments and International Week Food Festival or even for browsing will be richly rewarded with a one-stop resource.Each chapter covers a religion or two with similar food practices. A brief overview of the religion is followed by a discussion of any dietary restrictions. Then the recipes are organized by holiday or special occasion, featuring from appetizers to desserts. Recipes are culled from a variety of countries and cultures where the religion is practiced. The recipes are contextualized and have clear instructions for the novice cook. A final section in some chapters allows readers to recreate what the religion's founder or major figures might have eaten during their lifetime. A glossary defines what might be unfamiliar cooking terms and food and kitchen items. An introduction, list of recipes, conversion measurements, bibliography, index, and illustrations round out the cookbook.

Nobodaddy's Children is a trilogy of novels that traces life in Germany from the Nazi era through the postwar years and into an apocalyptic future. Scenes from the Life of a Faun recounts the dreary life of a government worker who escapes the banality of war by researching the exploits of a deserter from the Napoleonic Wars nicknamed The Faun. Brand's Heath deals with the chaos of the immediate postwar period as a writer joins a small community of "survivors" to try to forge a new life, and Dark Mirrors is set in a future where civilization has been virtually destroyed. Dark Mirrors' narrator fears he may be the last man on earth until the discovery of another creates new fears. All three novels are characterized by Schmidt's unique combination of sharply observed details, sarcastic asides, and wide erudition.

Nobodaddy''s Children is a trilogy of novels that traces life in Germany from the Nazi era through the postwar years and into an apocalyptic future. Scenes from the Life of a Faun recounts the dreary life of a government worker who escapes the banality of war by researching the exploits of a deserter from the Napoleonic Wars nicknamed The Faun. Brand''s Heath deals with the chaos of the immediate postwar period as a writer joins a small community of "survivors" to try to forge a new life, and Dark Mirrors is set in a future where civilization has been virtually destroyed. Dark Mirrors'' narrator fears he may be the last man on earth until the discovery of another creates new fears. All three novels are characterized by Schmidt''s unique combination of sharply observed details, sarcastic asides, and wide erudition.