Letters Over The Wall: Life in Communist East Germany (2015) by David F. Strack is a collection of letters from East Germans to the American author over forty years, 1975-2015.
The Berlin Wall split Berlin in two and was built to
surround West Berlin in the heart of East Germany on August 13, 1961. The Wall would
eventually fall on November 9, 1989, marking a historic moment in the Cold War
between the Soviet Union and the United States.
David F. Strack, American Author (Photo by Sandra Emerson)
The collected letters from four East Germans (Barbara,
Gerhard, Jürgen, and Jutta—all pseudonyms) provide an extraordinary glimpse into
the German Democratic Republic (GDR).
The letters transport the reader back into a time that
was mostly kept hidden behind the foreboding Berlin Wall. The letters also
shine a light on the individual’s feelings, moods, and thoughts about their
living situations and their political beliefs which reveal a deeper, more poignant
sentiment among the masses.
The author explains the use of “Wende” or “Die
Wende” in one letter dated towards the end of 1986:
“In her next sentence—remember, this letter was
written in 1986—Barbara uses a word that became one of the most important words
in the German language in the late 1980s: Wende.
“Here’s the sentence where she used that word for the
first time. I had never seen it used in that context: ‘There are further
negotiations with some countries, and I hope that a Wende for better
times will take place.’
Map from the era, illustrating Berlin’s division between the Allied forces
“This word in English can mean ‘reversal’ or ‘turning
point.’ A Wende can also be a change in direction. Wende became
the word used in German for the ‘revolution’ of 1989—and Barbara is using it in
1986, not in any great context of a revolution, but in an expression of hope
for better times to come.
“Little did she know how important that word would
become for all of Germany just three years later” (p 102).
(GERMANY OUT) Children at the Berlin Wall on Sebastianstrasse, Berlin – Kreuzberg – around 1964 (Photo by Lehnartz/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
In another letter received in December 1986, Jutta
reveals (quite bravely) how many individuals were apathetic, drained emotionally
and physically in order to become obedient and pliable to the GDR’s political and
cultural wishes and demands:
“I always admire the engagement of my American friends
for peace and disarmament. We are so hermetically sealed off from the rest of
the world that we can hardly dream of taking part in that peace movement as
intensely, personally, and individually as you do over there. We are accustomed
to act politically only by order, and only in that case are we obliged to act.
Personal engagement is suspect, and for the ‘upper ones’ it smells like betrayal.
We have unlearned to act” (p 129).
A year later, in the winter of 1987, Barbara adds to Jutta’s
complicated and mixed emotions regarding how best to live under the GDR’s
oppressive regime. Barbara explains that there’s no easy answer:
“And the other thing is living with the consequences
of one’s actions. There just aren’t any clear, ‘clean’ solutions. There’s
always some kind of unpleasantness left over. And that makes life more
difficult. Not being afraid of changes, and letting things just happen, is
something that I have to always tell myself to keep in mind” (p 141).
In 1988, Jutta and Barbara make it clear that “money”
is one of the best answers to most of their problems (which is still relevant
for most people today). The GDR would purposefully keep people poor by limiting
salaries and restricting how much money one could carry out of the country to further
complicate travel:
Jutta: “The question is not to get much, but to
get some money at all. Please don’t take it bad. I do not want to
become rich or to buy desired articles. My idea is of quite an ‘idealist’
nature: to see a bit more of this multicolored world, which so far was quite a
hidden empire for me throughout many, many years. This dream is realizable but
by money” (p 146).
Berlin’s historic Brandenburg Gate: East Berlin, left, and West Berlin shown Dec. 2, 1961 (AP Photo)
The author explains: “There had also been a reduction
in the amount of money East Germans could exchange: thirty marks per day, and
totally only enough for twelve days a year. This did not make her happy:
Barbara writes: “Ridiculous! That won’t even cover
room and board for half that amount of time! One alternative: go with an
organized tour booked through a travel agency. And now I’m a great friend of that!
Makes me crazy! One just can’t even think about it” (p 149).
By the end of that year Barbara would be married and
she offers some great advice, which reveals that most people from all parts of
the world are pretty much the same when it comes to money problems, family
life, and pleasing others:
“We had wonderful summer weather and got really silly.
Afterwards we were twice as happy because of all the relatives who showed up
and helped us realize our plans… Andreas’ father kind of complained because he
thought he was being bilked out of some money. My parents said we did the event
just right because we made the day so beautiful for ourselves… Oh well, to do
right for everyone is an art no one can really do” (p 155).
In October 1989, Jürgen wrote that the “Die Wende
had come” and how drastic changes were happening to East Germany:
“The number of people leaving the GDR is so great that
production levels have fallen. Especially bad is the situation in hospitals
because medical doctors and other medical professionals have left. Near
Leipzig, an entire hospital had to close because nobody was available to staff
the place. It’s really scary that now over 100,000 people have fled. I think
you can understand how bad that is for such a small country. We have only
16,000,000 inhabitants. Every day more than 1,000 people flee; that’s a small
village or an entire city each week” (p 166).
Jürgen adds: “Dialog is now our new hit. Discussions
are taking place everywhere, and finally our problems are being brought to the
table. Everyone can take part, and all can say what’s bothering them. And the
media are being very open and honest… But we also know that dialog must be
followed by results. We all have a kind of intoxicated high. And we’re really
using it! But we still need to see measurable results. I think something’s
really going to happen very soon” (pgs 168-169).
Less than a month later the Berlin Wall would fall. East Germany and West Germany had made their peace. In time, many long years after, Germany would become united and be made whole.
He has a B.A. in English, an M.Ed. in Higher Education Leadership (honors), an M.A. in Literature (honors), and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing & Fiction. He was born in Texas in 1979.
“Conquergood & the Center of the Intelligible Mystery of Being is a captivating new dystopian science fiction novel by CG Fewston, an author already making a name for himself with his thought-provoking work. Set in the year 2183, Conquergood is set in a world where one company, Korporation, reigns supreme and has obtained world peace, through oppression... The world-building in the novel is remarkable. Fewston has created a believable and authentic post-apocalyptic society with technological wonders and thought-provoking societal issues. The relevance of the themes to the state of the world today adds an extra wrinkle and makes the story even more compelling.”
“There is no better way for readers interested in Germany’s history and the dilemma and cultures of the two Berlins to absorb this information than in a novel such as this, which captures the microcosm of two individuals’ love, relationship, and options and expands them against the blossoming dilemmas of a nation divided.”
~ D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“A Time to Forget in East Berlin is a dream-like interlude of love and passion in the paranoid and violent life of a Cold War spy. The meticulous research is evident on every page, and Fewston’s elegant prose, reminiscent of novels from a bygone era, enhances the sensation that this is a book firmly rooted in another time.”
“Vivid, nuanced, and poetic…” “Fewston avoids familiar plot elements of espionage fiction, and he is excellent when it comes to emotional precision and form while crafting his varied cast of characters.” “There’s a lot to absorb in this book of hefty psychological and philosophical observations and insights, but the reader who stays committed will be greatly rewarded.”
“Readers of TheCatcher in the Rye and similar stories will relish the astute, critical inspection of life that makes Little Hometown, America a compelling snapshot of contemporary American life and culture.”
“Fewston employs a literary device called a ‘frame narrative’ which may be less familiar to some, but allows for a picture-in-picture result (to use a photographic term). Snapshots of stories appear as parts of other stories, with the introductory story serving as a backdrop for a series of shorter stories that lead readers into each, dovetailing and connecting in intricate ways.”
“The American novelist CG FEWSTON tells a satisfying tale, bolstered by psychology and far-ranging philosophy, calling upon Joseph Campbell, J. D. Salinger, the King James Bible, and Othello.”
“In this way, the author lends intellectual heft to a family story, exploring the ‘purity’ of art, the ‘corrupting’ influences of publishing, the solitary artist, and the messy interconnectedness of human relationships.”
“Fewston’s lyrical, nostalgia-steeped story is told from the perspective of a 40-year-old man gazing back on events from his 1980s Texas childhood…. the narrator movingly conveys and interprets the greater meanings behind childhood memories.”
“The novel’s focus on formative childhood moments is familiar… the narrator’s lived experiences come across as wholly personal, deeply felt, and visceral.”
This is my good friend, Nicolasa (Nico) Murillo, CRC, who is a professional chef & a wellness mentor. I’ve known her since childhood & I’m honored to share her story with you. In life, we all have ups & downs, some far more extreme than others. Much like in Canada, in America, the legalization of marijuana has become a national movement, which includes safe & legal access to cannabis (marijuana) for therapeutic use & research for all.
“This is a wellness movement,” Nico explains. The wellness movement is focused on three specific areas: information, encouragement, & accountability.
In these stressful & unprecedented times, it makes good sense to promote & encourage the state or condition of being in good physical & mental health.
TEXANS FOR SAFE ACCESS ~ share the mission of their national organization, Americans for Safe Access (ASA), which is to ensure safe and legal access to cannabis (marijuana) for therapeutic use and research, for all Texans.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Letters Over The Wall: Life in Communist East Germany (2015) by David F. Strack is a collection of letters from East Germans to the American author over forty years, 1975-2015.
The Berlin Wall split Berlin in two and was built to surround West Berlin in the heart of East Germany on August 13, 1961. The Wall would eventually fall on November 9, 1989, marking a historic moment in the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States.
(Photo by Sandra Emerson)
The collected letters from four East Germans (Barbara, Gerhard, Jürgen, and Jutta—all pseudonyms) provide an extraordinary glimpse into the German Democratic Republic (GDR).
The letters transport the reader back into a time that was mostly kept hidden behind the foreboding Berlin Wall. The letters also shine a light on the individual’s feelings, moods, and thoughts about their living situations and their political beliefs which reveal a deeper, more poignant sentiment among the masses.
The author explains the use of “Wende” or “Die Wende” in one letter dated towards the end of 1986:
“In her next sentence—remember, this letter was written in 1986—Barbara uses a word that became one of the most important words in the German language in the late 1980s: Wende.
“Here’s the sentence where she used that word for the first time. I had never seen it used in that context: ‘There are further negotiations with some countries, and I hope that a Wende for better times will take place.’
“This word in English can mean ‘reversal’ or ‘turning point.’ A Wende can also be a change in direction. Wende became the word used in German for the ‘revolution’ of 1989—and Barbara is using it in 1986, not in any great context of a revolution, but in an expression of hope for better times to come.
“Little did she know how important that word would become for all of Germany just three years later” (p 102).
In another letter received in December 1986, Jutta reveals (quite bravely) how many individuals were apathetic, drained emotionally and physically in order to become obedient and pliable to the GDR’s political and cultural wishes and demands:
“I always admire the engagement of my American friends for peace and disarmament. We are so hermetically sealed off from the rest of the world that we can hardly dream of taking part in that peace movement as intensely, personally, and individually as you do over there. We are accustomed to act politically only by order, and only in that case are we obliged to act. Personal engagement is suspect, and for the ‘upper ones’ it smells like betrayal. We have unlearned to act” (p 129).
A year later, in the winter of 1987, Barbara adds to Jutta’s complicated and mixed emotions regarding how best to live under the GDR’s oppressive regime. Barbara explains that there’s no easy answer:
“And the other thing is living with the consequences of one’s actions. There just aren’t any clear, ‘clean’ solutions. There’s always some kind of unpleasantness left over. And that makes life more difficult. Not being afraid of changes, and letting things just happen, is something that I have to always tell myself to keep in mind” (p 141).
In 1988, Jutta and Barbara make it clear that “money” is one of the best answers to most of their problems (which is still relevant for most people today). The GDR would purposefully keep people poor by limiting salaries and restricting how much money one could carry out of the country to further complicate travel:
Jutta: “The question is not to get much, but to get some money at all. Please don’t take it bad. I do not want to become rich or to buy desired articles. My idea is of quite an ‘idealist’ nature: to see a bit more of this multicolored world, which so far was quite a hidden empire for me throughout many, many years. This dream is realizable but by money” (p 146).
East Berlin, left, and West Berlin shown
Dec. 2, 1961 (AP Photo)
The author explains: “There had also been a reduction in the amount of money East Germans could exchange: thirty marks per day, and totally only enough for twelve days a year. This did not make her happy:
Barbara writes: “Ridiculous! That won’t even cover room and board for half that amount of time! One alternative: go with an organized tour booked through a travel agency. And now I’m a great friend of that! Makes me crazy! One just can’t even think about it” (p 149).
By the end of that year Barbara would be married and she offers some great advice, which reveals that most people from all parts of the world are pretty much the same when it comes to money problems, family life, and pleasing others:
“We had wonderful summer weather and got really silly. Afterwards we were twice as happy because of all the relatives who showed up and helped us realize our plans… Andreas’ father kind of complained because he thought he was being bilked out of some money. My parents said we did the event just right because we made the day so beautiful for ourselves… Oh well, to do right for everyone is an art no one can really do” (p 155).
In October 1989, Jürgen wrote that the “Die Wende had come” and how drastic changes were happening to East Germany:
“The number of people leaving the GDR is so great that production levels have fallen. Especially bad is the situation in hospitals because medical doctors and other medical professionals have left. Near Leipzig, an entire hospital had to close because nobody was available to staff the place. It’s really scary that now over 100,000 people have fled. I think you can understand how bad that is for such a small country. We have only 16,000,000 inhabitants. Every day more than 1,000 people flee; that’s a small village or an entire city each week” (p 166).
Jürgen adds: “Dialog is now our new hit. Discussions are taking place everywhere, and finally our problems are being brought to the table. Everyone can take part, and all can say what’s bothering them. And the media are being very open and honest… But we also know that dialog must be followed by results. We all have a kind of intoxicated high. And we’re really using it! But we still need to see measurable results. I think something’s really going to happen very soon” (pgs 168-169).
Less than a month later the Berlin Wall would fall. East Germany and West Germany had made their peace. In time, many long years after, Germany would become united and be made whole.
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CG FEWSTON
The American novelist CG FEWSTON has been a Visiting Scholar at the American Academy in Rome (Italy), a Visiting Fellow at Hong Kong’s CityU, & he’s a been member of the Hemingway Society, Americans for the Arts, PEN America, Club Med, & the Royal Society of Literature. He’s also a been Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) based in London. He’s the author of several short stories and novels. His works include A Father’s Son (2005), The New America: A Collection (2007), The Mystic’s Smile ~ A Play in 3 Acts (2007), Vanity of Vanities (2011), A Time to Love in Tehran (2015), Little Hometown, America (2020); A Time to Forget in East Berlin (2022), and Conquergood & the Center of the Intelligible Mystery of Being (2023).
He has a B.A. in English, an M.Ed. in Higher Education Leadership (honors), an M.A. in Literature (honors), and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing & Fiction. He was born in Texas in 1979.
“Conquergood & the Center of the Intelligible Mystery of Being is a captivating new dystopian science fiction novel by CG Fewston, an author already making a name for himself with his thought-provoking work. Set in the year 2183, Conquergood is set in a world where one company, Korporation, reigns supreme and has obtained world peace, through oppression... The world-building in the novel is remarkable. Fewston has created a believable and authentic post-apocalyptic society with technological wonders and thought-provoking societal issues. The relevance of the themes to the state of the world today adds an extra wrinkle and makes the story even more compelling.”
~ Literary Titan
A TIME TO FORGET IN EAST BERLIN
BREW Book Excellence Award Winner
BREW Readers’ Choice Award Winner
“A spellbinding tale of love and espionage set under the looming shadow of the Berlin Wall in 1975… A mesmerising read full of charged eroticism.”
~ Ian Skewis, Associate Editor for Bloodhound Books, & author of best-selling novel A Murder of Crows (2017)
“An engrossing story of clandestine espionage… a testament to the lifestyle encountered in East Berlin at the height of the Cold War.”
~ Lone Star Literary Life Magazine
“There is no better way for readers interested in Germany’s history and the dilemma and cultures of the two Berlins to absorb this information than in a novel such as this, which captures the microcosm of two individuals’ love, relationship, and options and expands them against the blossoming dilemmas of a nation divided.”
~ D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“A Time to Forget in East Berlin is a dream-like interlude of love and passion in the paranoid and violent life of a Cold War spy. The meticulous research is evident on every page, and Fewston’s elegant prose, reminiscent of novels from a bygone era, enhances the sensation that this is a book firmly rooted in another time.”
~ Matthew Harffy, prolific writer & best-selling historical fiction author of the “Bernicia Chronicles” series
“Vivid, nuanced, and poetic…” “Fewston avoids familiar plot elements of espionage fiction, and he is excellent when it comes to emotional precision and form while crafting his varied cast of characters.” “There’s a lot to absorb in this book of hefty psychological and philosophical observations and insights, but the reader who stays committed will be greatly rewarded.”
~ The Prairies Book Review
LITTLE HOMETOWN, AMERICA
GOLD Winner in the 2020 Human Relations Indie Book Awards for Contemporary Realistic Fiction
FINALIST in the SOUTHWEST REGIONAL FICTION category of the 14th Annual National Indie Excellence 2020 Awards (NIEA)
“Readers of The Catcher in the Rye and similar stories will relish the astute, critical inspection of life that makes Little Hometown, America a compelling snapshot of contemporary American life and culture.”
“Fewston employs a literary device called a ‘frame narrative’ which may be less familiar to some, but allows for a picture-in-picture result (to use a photographic term). Snapshots of stories appear as parts of other stories, with the introductory story serving as a backdrop for a series of shorter stories that lead readers into each, dovetailing and connecting in intricate ways.”
~ D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“The American novelist CG FEWSTON tells a satisfying tale, bolstered by psychology and far-ranging philosophy, calling upon Joseph Campbell, J. D. Salinger, the King James Bible, and Othello.”
“In this way, the author lends intellectual heft to a family story, exploring the ‘purity’ of art, the ‘corrupting’ influences of publishing, the solitary artist, and the messy interconnectedness of human relationships.”
~ Lone Star Literary Life Magazine
“Fewston’s lyrical, nostalgia-steeped story is told from the perspective of a 40-year-old man gazing back on events from his 1980s Texas childhood…. the narrator movingly conveys and interprets the greater meanings behind childhood memories.”
“The novel’s focus on formative childhood moments is familiar… the narrator’s lived experiences come across as wholly personal, deeply felt, and visceral.”
~ The BookLife Prize
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American Novelist CG FEWSTON
This is my good friend, Nicolasa (Nico) Murillo, CRC, who is a professional chef & a wellness mentor. I’ve known her since childhood & I’m honored to share her story with you. In life, we all have ups & downs, some far more extreme than others. Much like in Canada, in America, the legalization of marijuana has become a national movement, which includes safe & legal access to cannabis (marijuana) for therapeutic use & research for all.
“This is a wellness movement,” Nico explains. The wellness movement is focused on three specific areas: information, encouragement, & accountability.
In these stressful & unprecedented times, it makes good sense to promote & encourage the state or condition of being in good physical & mental health.
To learn more you can visit: Americans For Safe Access & Texans for Safe Access, ASA (if you are in Texas).
The mission of Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is to ensure safe and legal access to cannabis (marijuana) for therapeutic use and research.
Link: https://www.safeaccessnow.org/
TEXANS FOR SAFE ACCESS ~ share the mission of their national organization, Americans for Safe Access (ASA), which is to ensure safe and legal access to cannabis (marijuana) for therapeutic use and research, for all Texans.
Link: https://txsafeaccess.org/about-1
Stay safe & stay happy. God bless.
Nico Murillo Bio ~ Americans & Texans for Safe Access ~ Medical Cannabis
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