Tess Lewis

• Fiction January 1, 1
• Fiction January 1, 1

  Paul Leppin was one of the most flamboyant, charismatic figures of Jung-Prag, Prague’s German-speaking literary coterie at the beginning of the twentieth century. Even by the standards of a movement that glorified decadence, his fiction is excessive. Swarming with prostitutes, anarchists, extortionists, infanticides, child molesters, and exhibitionists, it delves into the deepest layers of depravity and moral and sexual humiliation. Leppin, immediately recognizable in his large hats and loud ties, captivated listeners, among them Max Brod and Franz Kafka, with readings from his fiction and poetry at the Café Arco. Unfortunately, however, he could not tear himself away from Prague.
• Fiction January 1, 1

  The setup is almost a cliché. Thirty years after the love of his life left him for a wealthy, more promising man, Erneste finally receives the letter he has waited for in quiet desperation. Although he can think of nothing else, he resists opening it for two days. When he eventually reads it, it devastates him. His former lover wants money. Before Erneste can get his bearings, another letter arrives, stripping “off a few more layers of scar tissue. Outwardly he was calm, but an explosion had taken place inside him.” It is in that gap that this sleek, understated