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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781784102692 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Carcanet Press, Limited |
| Publication date: | 07/01/2017 |
| Sold by: | INDEPENDENT PUB GROUP - EPUB - EBKS |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 144 |
| File size: | 503 KB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Quennets
By Philip Terry
Carcanet Press Ltd
Copyright © 2016 Philip TerryAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-78410-269-2
CHAPTER 1
MAUERWEG
Clear sunlight. Scavenging chaffinch. Bird twitter. Freewheeling bicycle. Cream taxi. Grey stone. Golden statue. Red elephant. Orange taxi. Large family. Passing music. Red light.
Amongst the tourists two dishevelled men make their way collecting empty bottles from bins.
Leaf litter. Back pack. Bleached hair. Blue sign.
Blossoming cherry. Tarmac track. Slow bicycle. Yellow bin. Hot sun. Gentle breeze. Wall stump. Giant weeds. Fat runner. Grey sign. Industrial landscape. Single pine.
A man walking his dog on the former death strip follows it around with a plastic bag and a garden fork.
Hot bin. Slow runner. Single track. Grey sign.
Grey stone. Yellow bus. Hot engine. Passing train. Slow footfalls. Turning wheel. Zoom lens. Black lantern. Green bench. Granite statue. Silver car. Passing plane.
Cyclists glide along the track where the wall once stood, past the Sony Centre, Starbucks, the Tiergarten, to the Brandenburg Gate.
Blue pushchair. Yellow dress. Orange bag. Turning lens.
Bornholmer Strasse. Augustana Church. Dorotheenstadt Cemetery. Hamburger Bahnhof. Humboldt University. St Lukas Church. St Agnes Church. Treptower Park. Gorlitzer Park. Shuldenburg Park. Rudhower Höhe. Südpark.
Arbitrariness of the wall: one side the Reichstag, one side the Brandenburg Gate.
Schönefeld Airport. Rosa-Luxemburg-Weg. Waldblick. Birkholz.
Lost keys. Prefabricated concrete. Walled-off street. Tall weeds. Improvised barriers. Barbed wire. Island city. Hostile border. Compressed rubble. Firemen's net. Upright dominos. Iron doors.
Marx, Lenin, Engels, Mao. So what?
Different names. Darkened watchtowers. Malignant eye. Hooded crows.
Careful design. Immaculate planning. Perfect finish. Uniform look. New technology. Old ends. Reinforced concrete. Hardened steel. Calculated height. Secure foundation. Cheap materials. Infinite cost.
Along the top of the wall runs a thick concrete pipeline: to stop the flow.
Careful design. Hardened technology. Reinforced finish. Infinite cost.
Worried look. Black shoes. Rapid texting. Bare legs. Active thumb. Short hair. Round glasses. Brown skirt. Bruised ankle. Paisley pattern. Stern profile. Tense grip.
The dog, whining, moves rapidly back and forth within the orbit of its retractable lead.
Relieved voice. Abrupt departure. Stiff walk. Satisfied dog.
Ghost station. Abandoned house. Dead-end road. Truncated track. Bricked-up window. Empty depot. Blocked path. Closed gate. Deserted office. Divided cemetery. Locked door. Disconnected phone.
Arbitrariness of the wall: it is forever crossing the river, that most natural of boundaries.
Bricked-up station. Locked path. Disconnected depot. Dead-end door.
Black horse. Abandoned shed. Makeshift allotment. Chicken run. Sprawling trailers. Furtive glance. Brown dog. Dusty truck. Unswept pavements. Punctured tyre. Black headscarf. Worn beret.
Encamped on scrubland by the death strip: gypsies. They live in clappedout vans covered in graffiti, sit cross-legged on the pavement, which has become their living room.
Black glance. Sprawling track. Worn dog. Punctured pavements.
Forbidden supermarkets. Original theory. Skilled workers. Political prisoners. Metal ladders. Iron lung. Steel cable. Microlite planes. Imprisoned spy. Attempted flight. Public transport. Building sites.
Successful applicants wait a long time, the paperwork is complex.
Pension benefits. Original theory. Suction effect. Special trains.
Run-down tenements. Broken doors. Cracked plaster. Peeling paint. Graffitied wall. Rusting shutters. Crying child. Broken glass. Unswept pavement. Burnt-out sweet dispenser. Defaced sign. Abandoned car.
In English, roadside graffiti: 'FUCK THE POLICE!'
Broken plaster. Defaced doors. Burnt-out tenements. Abandoned child.
Intense heat. Burning sun. Still air. Diminished ozone. Welcome shade. Unexpected shade. Intense shade. Natural shade. Urban oasis. City calm. Isolated spot. Pastoral strip.
Under a tree a man reading: death strip at peace.
Intense shade. City shade. Natural shade. Still shade.
Pink blossom. Picnic table. Purple bloom. Portioned apple. Lush grass. Distant cyclist. Bent bough. Rustic bench. Tarmac track. Tyre mark. Tired clerk. Tree bark.
Cherry trees line the path: gift of the Japanese.
Tree bark. Tyre mark. Purple bloom. Pink blossom.
Semi-circular amphitheatre. Angular seat. Circular beds. Straight track. Birch coppice. Evergreen hedge. Annual beds. Grassy track. Pine climbing-frame. Cobblestone road. Plastic sunbed. Asphalt track.
Activity all round the Wall Park: joggers, sunbathers, cyclists, walkers, strollers, sitters, climbers, talkers, explorers, presenters, film-makers, drug-takers, boules players, pool players, childminders, unwinders.
Semi-circular hedge. Pine seat. Evergreen road. Angular coppice.
Historical impasse. Institutionalised repression. Command socialism. Persistent opposition. Party line. Municipal council. Lopsided economies. Better opportunities. Zonal border. Military instruction. Secret police. Suspicious mind.
Nazi prison camps, used by the Stasi to imprison its opponents.
Blind faith. Security system. Foreign ideas. Hidden microphones.
Unsuitable bridge. Isolated fridge. Narrow bridge. Blocked bridge. Disused station. Enmured station. Erased statue. Forbidden station. Foot tunnel. Train tunnel. Disused funnel. Escape tunnel.
The graves of children are cleared for the wall. Toxins from the landfill seep into the lake.
Unsuitable station. Enmured statue. Disused bridge. Abandoned fridge.
Leaning post. Upright tower. Stepped wall. Parallel lines. Dense undergrowth. Equidistant posts. Dark foliage. Transparent barrier. Warning sign. Ancient trunk. Outstretched branch. Hidden bunker.
A figure moves in the bushes: ghost of Willi Block.
Warning sign. Dark tower. Barrage of gunfire. Unnatural barrier.
Urgent telephone calls. Temporary aberration. Coalition government. Interim solution. Unknown quantity. Mass protests. Blue denim. Mechanical grab. Existing checkpoints. Daring adventure. Disposable nappies. Popping champagne corks.
When the wall came down, an Easterner was said to have returned six library books, borrowed in 1961. The fine, DM 15000, was waived.
Parallel lines. Free drinks. Paper tissues. Long-lost relatives.
Oncoming train. Divided track. Driving rain. Plastic mac. Broken wall. Silver birch. Punctured ball. Glass porch. Fallen leaves. Blocked track. Distant eaves. Chimney stack.
Swallows have made their nest here, in the hollows of the wall. They sing over the death strip.
Expanded gardens. Cul-de-sac. Evaporating rain. Tarmac.
Traffic circle. Clay road. Bicycle path. Petrol station. Smooth pavement. Cobblestones. Forest trail. Guard tower. Hiking trail. Artists' colony. Drug abuse. Asylum seekers.
Here, in 1986, Michael Bittner successfully fled to the West. Here, in 1986, Michael Bittner was shot dead attempting to flee to the West.
Forest abuse. Guard trail. Smooth tower. Asylum seekers.
Wooden walkway. Still bog. Dark water. Deadly nightshade. Winding creek. Blocked bridge. Wooden fence. Still water. Lone duck. Swaying reeds. Rippled water. Invisible predator.
Paradox of the wall: wildlife and plants thrive in the former death strip.
Dark bog. Rippled water. Still creek. Swaying reeds.
White tent. Red roof. White wall. Orange truck. White building. Yellow train. White tower. Green leaves. White spotlight. Blue sky. White smoke. Purple graffiti.
Wall spectrum: after the fall the colours begin to emerge.
Red graffiti. Green smoke. Orange leaves. Purple spotlight.
Souvenir kiosks. Single-storey shops. Media circus. Bored cameramen. Toy bears. Imminent opening. Tall scaffolding. Instant history. Free enterprise. Joint ventures. Transport containers. Emergency camps.
The satellite dishes are being fine-tuned, for the historic moment that doesn't come.
Abrupt habits. Television listings. Illicit traffic. Washing machines.
Leaping rabbit. Alert rabbit. Crouching rabbit. Bronze rabbit. Hiding rabbit. Inquisitive rabbit. Jumping rabbit. Bronze rabbit. Resting rabbit. Listening rabbit. Oblivious rabbit. Bronze rabbit.
Silhouettes on the border strip: only the rabbit could cross here at will.
Free rabbit. Diving rabbit. Bronze rabbit. Running rabbit.
Smiling faces. Aghast faces. Shocked faces. Speechless faces. Roaring faces. Struggling faces. Elated faces. Defiant faces. Tearful faces. Emotional faces. Hardened faces. Laughing faces.
November 9, 1989: thousands of faces, bouncing across the wall.
Puzzled faces. Wistful faces. Bruised faces. Jubilant faces.
Beautiful bridge. Light installation. Last defence. Copper bear. Twin towers. Red brick. Warning sign. Tarmac road. Exposed cobbles. Regular lamps. Parked cars. Passing train.
A weeping willow marks the former border crossing.
Commemorative stamp. Illegible sign. Regular arch. Calculated span.
River Wall. Wind rustle. White boat. Exclusive housing. Red tape. Orange buoy. Abandoned net. Exclusive housing. White gate. Window grille. Giant frog. Exclusive housing.
Behind the tinted glass of the conference centre, executives are instructed on how to achieve their goals.
Remarkable tiling. Locked gate. Private garden. Exclusive housing.
Silver birch. Narrow track. Long shadow. Distant cyclist. Bare branch. Smooth path. Partial shade. Approaching cyclist. Rough bark. Straight track. Bright sunlight. Passing cyclist.
Of the wall, not a trace.
Broken twig. Empty track. Passing cloud. Vanished cyclist.
Autumn pastels. Empty tables. Steering committee. Compass motif. Telephone tapping. Travel restrictions. Station lockers. Battered cars. Dirty secrets. Expensive surgery. Dodgy digitals. Private beach.
In the West, down by Checkpoint Charlie, Rostropovich plays Bach before the wall.
Underfloor heating. Tinned peaches. Transit routes. Tennis courts.
Exposed location. Watchtower foundations. Red and white railings. Extensive security. Turbine building. Intensive phase. Soviet generators. Continuous shifts. Power stations. Metal pillars. Construction department. Day nursery.
Lamps of the light strip arching over the trees: wall-ribs.
General hospital. Valid authorisation. Border troops. Perimeter fortifications.
Spiked discs. Urban void. Spontaneous vegetation. Garden allotments. Uniform enclosure. Sporadic remnants. Concrete pillars. Additional security. Southern firewall. Electricity station. Barbed wire. Minimal interruption.
Railing posts – Giacommettis – marking the restricted zone: wall widows.
Red and white poles. Abundant vegetation. Barren line. Attempted escape.
Evening news. GDR citizens. Concrete overhang. Border guards. U-Bahn station. Camera lights. Street furniture. Traffic lights. Embassy garden. Two sisters. Bone marrow. Recent arrivals.
It was enough for her. She packed her bags.
Tight circle. Close quarters. Touching faith. Anonymous offices.
Evident traces. Extensive landscaping. Authentic remnants. Permanently employed officers. Stone handrails. Former entrance. Used car lot. Particular significance. Tall lights. Multiple arms. Large installations. Serpentine passages.
Kopenhagener Strasse. Dawn. A man climbs out of a green skip, dusts himself down, and sets off on his day.
Immediate surroundings. Equidistant holes. Ornamental posts. Sharp turn.
Ground floor facades. Tenement houses. Extensive construction work. Archaeological remnants. Escape tunnels. Slight rise. Concrete bed. Last generation. Contrasting appearance. Observant viewer. New constructions. Urban trace.
A bald man haunts the border strip here. They say his hair fell out overnight when the border was opened. Now he forever paces the former frontier, as if in search of his lost hair.
Indirect testimony. Terminal loop. Former building. Young trees.
Dramatic escapes. Six-storeyed tenements. Ruinous front. New incident. Ghostly character. Emotional charge. Dramatic events. Mass escapes. Upper floors. Ground floors. Dramatic resonance. Symbolic significance.
Death strip lamp: praying mantis.
Symbolic incident. Ghostly charge. Emotional resonance. New character.
Blue sock. Blue dress. Blue sky. Blue sign. Blue T-shirt. Denim shorts. Blue hair. Blue trailer-tent. Blue portaloo. Blue crate. Blue bicycle. Grey sign.
The cock of a former Stasi officer lengthens as he steps into the blue movie booth.
Blue swingseat. Blue tarpaulin. Blue tile roof. Blue pool.
Barking dogs. Calling voices. A roaring jet. Bird trill. Barking dogs. Closing gates. Approaching footfalls. Grinding gears. Barking dogs. Bird song. Gun shot. The wind in the trees.
How different these sounds now, and when the wall still stood.
Squeaking trainer. Jet engine. Approaching voices. Scrunching leaves.
Different generations. Typical breezeblock. Visible emptiness. Official use. Passport control. Concrete pipe. Security measure. Fresh concrete. Individual segments. Wooden lamp-posts. Illumination devices. Burial ground.
Here, they say, after dark, the ghosts of border guards still patrol their sectors.
Gutter-like trace. Sandstone base. Extension lights. Sporadic imprints.
Command post. Various events. Historic ground. Older structures. Original lamp-post. Accompanying pavement. Integral part. Different generations. Imprisonment cell. Neighbouring towers. Assigned section. Corresponding places.
Weight-watchers, in brightly coloured buildings, overlooking the watchtower.
Eye contact. Lengthy stretch. Electric barriers. Common room.
Unauthorised persons. Sector boundary. Special status. Complete maze. Wire-glass barrier. Steel wall. Ground plan. Immediate surroundings. Soviet soldiers. Original location. Removed elements. Near future.
Tar-blotches on the pavement: traces of border posts.
Numerous arches. Dead escapees. Memorial markers. Extensive construction.
Extensive redesigning. Hermetically locked. Relocated elements. Additional indications. City wasteland. Public space. Whole area. Specific situation. Lateral areas. Punched openings. Architectural language. Row of cobblestones.
Taxi queuing on Potsdamer Platz: driver in the East, passenger in the West.
Surrounding context. Urban fabric. Glass canopy. Relocated cobblestones.
Military service. Busy activity. Good man. Hard structures. State security. True stories. Small towns. Fine life. Border station. Crossing point. Another situation. Absolutely still.
They came to the hotel at 3 a.m., rolled him up in a carpet, and shipped him back over the border in a furniture van.
Aborted escape. Small stories. Big factories. Normal guards.
Gentle curve. Gabled front. Slot-like openings. Vertical bars. New construction. Authentic remnants. Further remains. Political message. Consciously staged. Extensive wastelands. High-rise apartments. Lengthy stretch.
High-rise buildings competing across the wall: Cold War posturing.
Colourful buildings. Vertical bars. Gabled front. Window grilles.
Original whitewash. Steel spikes. Concrete bank. Spatial situation. Pronounced trace. Electric control panel. Healthy lawn. Evocative remnants. Pedestrian passage. White marks. Extensive clearance. Ushaped remnants.
Border guards patrolling in pairs: to stop them escaping.
Perimeter traces. Immediate proximity. Light fixtures. Labyrinthine terrain.
Political message. Spray event. Stale visitors. Inner city. Anti-scaling device. Prefabricated elements. Intended function. Undamaged condition. Earlier era. Spray paintings. Limited durability. Official murals.
Graffiti on the wall: two cartoon characters tunnel towards freedom, as another clambers over the wall, pursued by a dog. As the dog tears off the seat of his pants, he opens his mouth to receive the benediction of the West: a spit-roast chicken, from Aldi.
Illegal graffiti. Greater durability. Modular elements. Solid installations.
Fur coats. Drawing instruments. Cheapest class. Ten years. Jewellery department. False papers. Political context. False charges. False pretences. Economic crimes. Famous scientist. Short write-up.
We went to his car, it was cold, it was winter, it was snowing outside.
Trumped-up charges. New beginning. Short time. Bad awakening.
Concrete obstacle. Crossing station. Landing bridge. Massive installation. Extension lights. Immediate vicinity. Storage buildings. Fortified jetty. Unique remnant. Factory premises. Potential escape. Standard element.
Whiteness of the border walls: to facilitate shooting.
Electronic devices. Original searchlight. Directing centre. Panoramic view.
Significant remnants. Repellent details. Deep trench. Derelict land. New constructions. Urban layout. Lengthy section. Partially exposed. Traces of rust. Former connection. Moving persons. Concrete foundations.
Cigarettes on the death strip: Marlboro, Camel, JPS.
Former barriers. Clear images. Brutal transition. Rigidly secured.
Wall memorial. Urban void. Visible incision. Different structures. Enemy side. Horizontal bar. Small garden. Abstract element. Electrical cables. Interrupted row. Large terrain. Garage buildings.
Allotments flanking the wall: apples, carrots, runner beans.
Comparable remnants. Numerous blocks. Peculiar feature. Missing trees.
Bank reinforcement. Electrical switchbox. Last victim. High fence. Ten bullets. New construction. Special pass. Adjacent pavements. Lateral enclosures. Art installation. Humourous comment. Authentic components.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Quennets by Philip Terry. Copyright © 2016 Philip Terry. Excerpted by permission of Carcanet Press Ltd.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Elementary Estuaries,Mauerweg,
Waterlog,
Author's Note,