Michael Köhlmeier

Köhlmeier’s beloved collection comprises 37 guitars, each with its own story and a special connection to him. There are iconic electric guitars, such as the 1968 Fender Stratocaster, as well as two Gibsons, an American Martin tenor guitar, and many more. But Köhlmeier doesn’t just collect—he plays with equal passion: daily at home and often on stage in various ensembles. In this very personal book, he recounts the stories of his guitars, the instrument makers he admires, and the sense of power he felt during his first encounter with an amplifier and electric guitar. He also reveals how, after an injury to his fretting hand, Django Reinhardt became his role model—the master who “with two crippled fingers was the best of them all.”

Michael Köhlmeier's contemplations on We are a plea for an inclusive community. The We can soothe, because it offers the lonely I a home and a notion of where it comes from. This We can provide integration. It is close to the I, it tells stories. But We is also a uniform that can be worn. Anyone can become the enemy of this We, it turns us into opportunists and dogmatists. This military We generates myths to sanction ideologies. But how does one We turn into the other? How does intimate family history turn into an ardent desire to kill and die for something that nobody has ever seen? And what can be done to prevent this transformation? The great raconteur Michael Köhlmeier delves deeply into the two-faced nature of We.

Christine Nöstlinger's new vernacular poems are profound, pithy and full of darkly humorous overtones. They tell of hopes and fears, of avarice and of dealing with old age. The work-shy "Jasmin from stairway four" is a drain on her husband's pocket, "West Street Station Rudi" observes life's little and big ladies on the station platform every day, quiet Mr Meier only reveals his secret fantasies of violence to his goldfish – is that reason to call the police? The verses gathered from Christine Nöstlinger's estate provide a nuanced look at life by focusing on the margins of society. A must for all friends of Viennese vernacular poetry and Nöstlinger fans.