Live from Hotel Josef, Saturday
Prague Writers' Festival, J Haynes' blog, 2 June 2007

Life begins at 5 a.m. when noise from the kitchen drifts upstairs. Houseguests have returned from a night on the town. Down to investigate. Find Beatriz Belfrage with her friend Michael Camilleri from Australia. And David Lucas with a woman I have never seen before. Learn she is Lya from Brazil and another friend of Beatriz. They invite me for Sushi.

Thank them and say no thanks. Quickly get into action. Finish packing and quickly wash, dress and out the door and on my way to Prague via RER “B” line from Denfert Rochereau to Charles de Gaulle 2. Find the correct departure gate and also find Sasha Hemon in the queue just ahead of me. He introduces his wife, Teri, and we quickly clear passport control, check-in with Czech Airlines and then go for coffee and croissants. Sasha digs into his shoulder bag and produces a copy of his novel, Nowhere Man, and passes it over to me. They both compliment my autobiography, Thanks for Coming! Teri especially likes the 19 dedication pages. They say that they have enjoyed their time in Paris but that they are returning to Chicago the end of June. Teri further reports a love/hate relationship with Chicago. I tell her about my delightful photographer friend, Rajack Ohanian, who is in love with Chicago.

It’s time to board our flight to Prague. Bags must go through the x-ray machine and I confess to having a bottle of wine in my carry-on bag. It must be given up. Oh no. I was planning to give it to Vlasta and Michael March. I offer it to one of the young guards. He says he is not allowed to accept it. Then he winks.

Peter Stephan Jungk looms into view. Introductions made. He will fly with us to Prague. We all gather free newspapers. I pick up today’s Guardian. It is not only one of the world’s great newspapers, it is also one of my favorites. As well as a sponsor of the Prague Writers’ Festival. Thank you, Guardian, for being a source of sanity in this crazy world. Pick up the Financial Times, Liberation and the International Herald Tribune – three more great newspapers. Teri, Sasha and I are in row 10; Peter is a few rows in front of us. Smooth flight. Soon we are landing at Prague International Airport. We quickly clear passport control and collect our bags. (Although I almost take a bag that is not mine, but it is identical.)

Outside we find a young attractive woman named Hannah Brooks-Motl. She is a volunteer hostess for the Writers’ Festival. She is from Madison, Wisconsin and has been living in Prague for almost four years. But she is about to move to Scotland to continue her studies at St. Andrews University. She also tells us that her boyfriend has accepted a job in Edinburgh. I tell her that I lived ten years in Edinburgh and can give her some tips. She says she knows, that Michael March has suggested she corner me while I am in Prague. It’s a bright warm ride into the center and we soon arrive at the Hotel Josef. Both Peter Stephan Jungk and I have attended the Prague Writers’ Festival in past years. Peter in 2001 and me in 2002, but this is the first time for Teri and Sasha to be in Prague. Nevertheless, we all four are excited. Prague looks great! It always looks great. And the Hotel Josef is welcoming. Michael March is at the hotel to greet us and to give us information packets and lots of party invitations. Milena Findeis, who is the Assistant Manager of the Hotel Josef, comes out to give both Peter Stephan Jungk and yours truly warm greetings. Peter knows her from 2001. I met her in 2002 via Spyros Vergos and stayed in the Hotel in 2003 with John Flattau and Susi Wyss. Now I am in room 707. Michael asks me to sign a few papers and tells me that at 3 this afternoon we will meet in the lobby of the hotel and will be taken to the Swedish Ambassador’s residence for our first reception.

It’s just after 12, so am about to go upstairs to deposit my things Chat briefly with Hannah who introduces me to another hostess, Mollye Miller, from Baltimore. I cannot resist telling them my Baltimore story of how Jane MacAllister ended up meeting Anselm Hollo because I called a writer in Baltimore and when I asked for him, a voice I recognized said that the writer was not in Baltimore, but on holiday in Mexico. I recognized the voice, invited Anselm Hollo to join me, Sarah Bean and Jane MacAllister for lunch. Amselm joined us and he and Jane have been married for about twenty years.

The room is superb – much like I remember from 2003. Unpack and read various festival announcements. There is a knock at the door. The lovely Jana Fronkova has a letter for me from Carina Schramn, Director of Guest Relations. Plus gifts: fresh fruit, a bottle of Vittel, and chocolate. Bravo! Thank you, Carina! Thank you, Jana! Thank you, Milena!

Downstairs, in the lobby to meet Michael March and the others. Michael introduces Gary Snyder and his son, Gen. Leave them and go to the Computer Room and attempt to write a short item to send to Votech Brtnik (also known as PJ) who will handle my blog material for the Prague Writers’ Festival web site. Somehow or other I make a mess, lose everything and must start this at another time.

Back to the lobby. Introduce myself to Ann and Tom Sandqvist. They are from Sweden. Tell them that I was once married to a woman from Stockholm (Viveka Reuterskiold), that I co-produced a future Swedish tax-payer. Mention Viveka and Gosta Wallmark and my wonderful son, Jesper. Tom has written a book entitled DADA EAST that has been published by M.I.T. Press and will be a source material book for not only the Festival but also for an exhibition that Michael’s wife, Vlasta Brtnikova, is deeply involved with and the reason we have not met yet. The book deals with a group of people from Bucuresti who were early exponents of DADA. Share a taxi to the Swedish Embassy with Ann and Tom and with Arnon Grunberg. Arnon is from Amsterdam, but lives in New York City at the moment. He and I talk about Cees Nooteboom, Harry Mulish, Jaco groot, Willem de Ridder, Peter van Straaten, and other notable Dutch literary figures. Tell Arnon the story of Fanny and Marianne and what happened as a result of having dinner with Cees Nooteboom in a Chinese restaurant in Amsterdam.

Walking up the stairs in the Swedish Ambassador’s residence encounter Dominique and Paul Kahn. He publishes New – a literary magazine. I brought the first two issues with me from Paris. Issue No. 2 features Gary Snyder.

At the top of the stairs, meet an attractive woman. She is the Swedish Ambassador. Her name is Catherine von Heidenstan. Tell her that I co-produced a future Swedish tax-payer and then I have to explain. She laughs. Teri and Sasha suddenly appear – both looking very ravishing. Tease them about how chic they are. There is a balcony with a super view. Go out and find Hannah and Mollye. Teri joins us. Michal Prochazka wanders out as well. He is the journalist who came to Paris to interview me. His piece was large and well designed on the page. I was impressed and tell him so. He welcomes me to Prague and says we must have a quiet dinner while I am here. I am all for it.

Then meet Elena Stefoi, a poet, journalist and diplomat from Bucuresti and now the Romanian Ambassador in Canada. I ask her if she knows the Romanian Cultural Attaché in Lisbon. I am thinking of Virgil Mihaiu. But meet also a fellow named Mircea Dan Duta and he knows Virgil. He is not the Cultural Attaché; both Virgil and Mircea are Directors of the Romanian Cultural Centers. Meet another woman from Romania whose husband is Czech and who translates from Romanian into Czech. Elena tells us not to eat a lot because there will be more food tonight at the reception the Romanians are hosting.

Thank the young waiter who tells me his mother did all the cooking. I suggest she come to Paris and cook Swedish meat balls at my restaurant. Thank the Swedish Ambassador. Hannah calls a taxi and Sasha, Teri and I ride to the Hotel Josef.

Sit in my room and contemplate calling various friends I have in Prague, but it seems too much of an undertaking. I will do it later.

Downstairs to the lobby again and sit in the corner with a dozen people from the Festival. Give Elena Stefoi a copy of my manifesto, Workers of the World, Unite and Stop Working! Peter Stephan Jungk joins us and takes my book from Elena’s hands. I tell him to give it back to her, that I have a copy for him as well. Sasha and Teri appear and they say they will walk to the reception in the Zofin Palace.

I share a taxi there with Abraham Yehoshua and his wife, Ika. And with Arnon Grunberg. I tell Abraham that I was a friend of the late Dahn Ben-Amotz and we both agree he was a character. Learn that Abraham has a nickname that all his friends call him. It is Bulli. We talk in the taxi about Peter Stephan Jungk and about his father, Robert.

The reception is perfect. Beautiful terrace. Delightful weather. A view of the river. Superb food. . Lovely waitresses and handsome waiters. Trays full of delicious canapés. Delicious Romanian wines. Two waitresses: brunette Marta and blonde Martina – both I would like to take to Paris. Talk with Edgar (E.L.) Doctorow and his attractive wife about Jaco Groot in Amsterdam and Stanley Cohen in New York City.

Give a copy of my book, People to People: Poland, to Mircea Dan Duta and tell him that I also made a People to People: Romania, but it is out of print.

Talk with Peter Stephan Jungk about Garry Davis and our World Passport adventures. I kick myself for not bringing a World Passport to Prague. It is pure Dada.

Rossano Maniscalchi and I renew our friendship. We met in Prague in 2002. He tells me he has a new baby daughter. And she is here with us and her Czech mother. He also says he has a new book of photography about to be published.

Long talk with the Swedish Ambassador, Catherine von Heidenstan, and with a Czech fellow named Frantisek Janouch. He and his Russian wife have a daughter, also named Catherine, who is a successful writer in Stockholm. Learn that she has written a book that deals with human sexuality. It seems it is too hot for American publishers. I can relate to that. One of my first books, Hello, I Love You!, was never published in the USA because I refused to allow it to be cut.

Thank Elena and Miercea. Sasha, Teri and I elect to stroll to the hotel. We walk in front of the National Theatre and I tell them my Eva Kacerova story. Once at the Josef, they go straight to bed. I decide to write a few words on the computer, but both are occupied. Sit in the lobby and Jim Naughton arrives and joins me. We have our long talk about Edinburgh. Then he gives me shocking news: Spyros Vergos died a few days ago in a hospital in Prague. Both Vlasta and Michael March are in shock. Milena Findeis joins us and we three talk a long time about Spyros. What a shadow that this creates. Spyros was the spirit of the Prague Writers’ Festival. Mister Dada himself. In shock I excuse myself and go up to bed.