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Literature
Reve's Raleigh
Gerard Reve (1923-2006) is one of the most widely read and most admired Dutch writers. A self-proclaimed anti-intellectual and 'writing for housewives', he was considered also by literary critics as one of the top three writers of Dutch post-war literature - and by many as their indisputed number one. My tribute to him is this essay in which I highlight a brilliant episode from Old and lonely (1978). It is the story of the narrator's rainy summer romance with an English play actress in London of the fifties. It is a masterful blend of acute observation and big symbolism, of raw honesty and cliché, of things vulgar and divine. My article can be read as a plea to finally translate this book into English.
Krabbé's random word 
'I once gave myself the assignment of inventing a completely random word. Completely random, is that possible? And all of a sudden, there it was: Battoowoo Greekgreek' (Tim Krabbé, The Rider).
Tim Krabbé is a well-known Dutch writer. His book The Rider (1978) is a modern classic in Dutch literature. It is about a cycling stage in which the narrator participates. My article should be read as a playful tribute to the book and the random word that is created in it.
Brass band
Because I admire Dutch poet Vasalis (1909-1998), I tried to translate one of her well-known poems. It is called Brass band, from her 1940 debut Parks and deserts.
