Graz, 7/9/98. We arrived here this afternoon after a stop to visit Renate Welsh in Hilzmannsdorf. A wonderfully lively and intelligent woman. She served us coffee and home-made cherry pie (from her own cherries, pits included) in der living room and, leaning against her piano, read to us from Johanna and Lufthaus. She also spoke of her own life, her difficult childhood (red-headed devil who got by already in early childhood on her brains and writing) and of her career as a writer. Her German was wonderful to listen to, cultured and humorous.
Graz is largely unfamiliar to me despite having spent a year here teaching 25 years ago (1973-74). Very different experience than it was a few years ago going back to Wheeler Base in Hawaii where I had lived 40 years ago and yet which was totally familiar with eveything just in the locations I remembered them.
