Rainald Goetz
Encyclopedia
Rainald Maria Goetz is a German
author
, playwright
and essayist.
After studying History
and Medicine
in Munich
and earning a grade (Ph. D. and M.D) in each, he soon concentrated on his writing.
With his first works, especially his novel "Irre" ("Crazy" or "Mad"), published in 1983, he became a cult author
for the intellectual left. To the delight of his fans and the dismay of some critics he mixed neo-expressionist writing with social realism in the vein of Alfred Döblin
and the fast pace of British pop writers like Julie Burchill
. During a televised literary tournament in 1983, Goetz slit his own forehead with a razor blade and let the blood run down his face until he finished reading.
Goetz made his name as an enthusiastic observer of media and pop culture. He embraced avant-garde philosophers like Foucault
and Luhmann
as well as the DJs of the techno movement, especially Sven Väth
.
He can probably claim to be one of the earliest prominent blog
gers, having written a daily diary on the web in 1998-99 called Abfall für alle ("trash for everybody"), which eventually was published as a book.
Goetz won numerous literary awards. He is still loved by his fan base, but he hasn't written anything which captivated the larger audience for some years.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and essayist.
After studying History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and Medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and earning a grade (Ph. D. and M.D) in each, he soon concentrated on his writing.
With his first works, especially his novel "Irre" ("Crazy" or "Mad"), published in 1983, he became a cult author
Cult Fiction
-Personel:* Matt Beck - guitar* Chris Raines - drums* Jon Spencer - vocals* Dan Tulloh - guitar...
for the intellectual left. To the delight of his fans and the dismay of some critics he mixed neo-expressionist writing with social realism in the vein of Alfred Döblin
Alfred Döblin
Alfred Döblin was a German expressionist novelist, best known for the novel Berlin Alexanderplatz .- 1878–1918:...
and the fast pace of British pop writers like Julie Burchill
Julie Burchill
Julie Burchill is an English writer and journalist. Beginning as a writer for the New Musical Express at the age of 17, she has written for newspapers such as The Sunday Times and The Guardian. She is a self-declared "militant feminist". She has several times been involved in legal action...
. During a televised literary tournament in 1983, Goetz slit his own forehead with a razor blade and let the blood run down his face until he finished reading.
Goetz made his name as an enthusiastic observer of media and pop culture. He embraced avant-garde philosophers like Foucault
Michel Foucault
Michel Foucault , born Paul-Michel Foucault , was a French philosopher, social theorist and historian of ideas...
and Luhmann
Luhmann
Luhmann is the surname of the following people:* Heinrich Luhmann , German pedagogue and regional poet* Niklas Luhmann , German sociologist...
as well as the DJs of the techno movement, especially Sven Väth
Sven Väth
Sven Väth is a Frankfurt-based DJ who has produced an extensive range of work since his career began in 1982. From 1985, he was part of the band OFF which released the hit "Electrica Salsa" in 1986...
.
He can probably claim to be one of the earliest prominent blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
gers, having written a daily diary on the web in 1998-99 called Abfall für alle ("trash for everybody"), which eventually was published as a book.
Goetz won numerous literary awards. He is still loved by his fan base, but he hasn't written anything which captivated the larger audience for some years.
Selected works
- Irre (1983) - the novel which made him famous.
- Krieg / "War" (1986) - three plays
- Kontrolliert / "Controlled" (1988)
- Festung (1993) plays
- 1989 (1993) - a collageCollageA collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
of media etc. from the years 1989 / 1990 German ReunificationGerman reunificationGerman reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die... - RaveRaveRave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
(1998) - Jeff KoonsJeff KoonsJeffrey "Jeff" Koons is an American artist known for his reproductions of banal objects—such as balloon animals produced in stainless steel with mirror finish surfaces....
(1998) - Abfall für alle (1999)
External links
- Rainald Goetz: New German dramatic art (website of the Goethe-InstitutGoethe-InstitutThe Goethe-Institut is a non-profit German cultural institution operational worldwide, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and relations. The Goethe-Institut also fosters knowledge about Germany by providing information on German...
)