Michael Lederer
Michael Lederer | |
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Born | Princeton, New Jersey, U.S. | July 9, 1956
Occupation | Writer |
Nationality | American |
Michael Lederer (born July 9, 1956 in Princeton, New Jersey) is an American playwright, screenwriter, novelist, short story writer, poet, and essayist currently living in Berlin, Germany.[1] Die Welt has called him "an archaeologist among the great American writers."[2]
Biography
Early life
Michael Lederer was born in Princeton, New Jersey, where his father
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Michael_Lederer_1958_in_New_Haven%2C_Connecticut.jpg/220px-Michael_Lederer_1958_in_New_Haven%2C_Connecticut.jpg)
In 1965 they moved again to
In the mid-seventies, Lederer lived in a tipi on a hippie commune called The Land in the
In 1981, Lederer received a B.A. in Theatre Arts from
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Michael_Lederer_in_La_Herradura%2C_Spain%2C_1984.jpg/220px-Michael_Lederer_in_La_Herradura%2C_Spain%2C_1984.jpg)
Career
In 1984–85, Lederer and his first wife Judy were living in La Herradura, a fishing village in the south of Spain. In a 2014 interview, Lederer told
In 1998, Lederer co-founded the
In 1997–1999, Lederer founded the 17th century Sir George Downing manuscript collection at Harvard University.[17]
In 2000, Lederer co-wrote and co-starred in the art film "Las Venice" which was shot both in Venice, Italy, and at the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas. The two settings were intermixed in an aim to "blur the distinction between the real, the plastic, and real plastic."[18] [19] Narrating the film's end, Lederer predicts an artificial plasticized reality spreading "until eventually Atlantic City in New Jersey and Las Vegas in Nevada will grow and grow until finally, if they have their way, the two will meet and the entire country will become one commercial theme park." Bending over a bed of artificial flowers at the Venetian, he notes, "I love the smell of plastic."[20]
From 2015–2023, he has contributed a series of articles to the American Studies Journal Blog.[21]
In December 2016, writing for Politico Magazine, Lederer responded to the Christmas market attack in Berlin.[22]
"Casual Baggage"
In January 2023, in commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the U.S. embassy in Berlin presented a staged reading of Lederer's play "Casual Baggage" at the English Theatre Berlin International Performing Arts Center.[23][24]
The play is based on the true story of a small group of Jewish refugees admitted into America during WWII. Brought from Naples to New York on a single ship, the
In an essay "America and the Holocaust" published November 2022 in the American Studies Journal Blog, American-born Lederer writes of how difficult it is for his own also his children's generations "growing and living in relative safety" to grasp what it is like to suffer the horrors of war, and prejudice. He notes, "We don't study history to understand the past. We study it to understand today, and prepare for tomorrow." He adds, "To love hate. A little design flaw there."[28]
Dubrovnik Shakespeare Festival
In 2009, Lederer founded the Dubrovnik Shakespeare Festival in
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/Dubrovnik_Shakespeare_Festival_press_conference_2011_with_Michael_Lederer_and_Dubrovnik_mayor_Andro_Vlahu%C5%A1i%C4%87.jpg/220px-Dubrovnik_Shakespeare_Festival_press_conference_2011_with_Michael_Lederer_and_Dubrovnik_mayor_Andro_Vlahu%C5%A1i%C4%87.jpg)
Croatian President (and composer)
In a March 2024 interview with the magazine Kulturring Berlin, Lederer described in detail political struggles that befell the Festival as it eventually led a campaign against mass tourism. "Only 800 Croatian citizens remained living within the old walls, most homes sold off to foreigners. While as many as five cruise ships a day, each disgorging as many as 3,000 short term visitors, swell the town with invading hordes. The Disneyfication of one of the most beautiful manmade corners of the globe. That is, if you can spot it through all the bobbing heads of picture-taking tour groups."[39]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Michael_Lederer_and_his_wife_Katarina_in_Dubrovnik%2C_Croatia%2C_2013.jpg/220px-Michael_Lederer_and_his_wife_Katarina_in_Dubrovnik%2C_Croatia%2C_2013.jpg)
"The Great Game"
"The Great Game Berlin-Warsaw Express and Other Stories",[40] a collection of Lederer's short stories and sonnets, was published in Berlin in 2012 by PalmArt Press in both English and German.[41] The book premiered at the Leipzig Book Fair. Reviewing it, the newspaper Berliner Morgenpost called The Great Game "Wonderfully ironic…a brilliant chronicle of loss, showing us characters who have fallen through the cracks of our increasingly interconnected world."[42] Die Welt wrote: "In these stories, great dramas and great comedies play out, and as in Shakespeare's King Lear 'The worst returns to laughter.' These are fascinating excavations. Michael Lederer is a true archaeologist, among the great American writers."[2]
The American playwright John Guare, in reference to The Great Game, wrote that "Michael Lederer writes with the intensity of an ancient soul sitting around the campfire spinning ardent tale after tale to warm the winter night. A real treat." The Russian novelist Vladimir Sorokin commented that "In the stories of Michael Lederer, it is as if the author deliberately and thoroughly erected a fine building, and then a ruthless movement destroyed it in front of you. These ruins are fascinating."[43]
"Cadaqués"
In February 2014, Berlin's PalmArt Press published Lederer's first full-length novel, "Cadaqués". It is the story of a group of hard-drinking writers and artists set in a little fishing village near the Spanish / French border.
"Saving America"
In January 2015, Lederer published an article in the American Studies Journal blog[46] announcing his new novel-in-progress, "Saving America". Lederer told Deutsche Welle television[9] that the new book is about "an insanely optimistic older man, Don Hotey, who picks up a 19-year-old hitchhiker named Sancho, and together they set out in an old hand-painted VW van in hopes of getting America to the sweet place Don believes it is destined to be. Mixed success." Lederer was invited by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg to read from the manuscript at the Muhlenberg Center in November 2017.[47] In March 2018, during the Leipzig Book Fair, the U.S. Embassy presented another reading at the Zeitgeschichtliches Forum.[48] Lederer revealed in Leipzig that "For the last ten months, I have been developing a screenplay based on this story as it has evolved. Soon I'll return to work on the book. So the screenplay is based on a novel which in turn will be based on the screenplay. This dog is chasing its own tail. We'll see if it catches anything." The screenplay for "Saving America" won the bronze prize for comedy in the 2019 PAGE International Screenwriting Awards.[49]
"In The Widdle Wat Of Time"
In March 2016, a collection of Lederer's poetry and very short stories was published in Berlin. When asked about the title of the new book in an interview on
Personal life
Lederer is a member of the Kunstlerhof group of artists in Berlin.[51] He is a lifetime member of the National Arts Club in New York City, and is a member of the Players Club, also in New York City. Lederer has lived in Berlin since 2003. Since 2015, he is a Jury member of Boddinale. Lederer and his Polish-born wife Katarina have three children, Lukas born 2009, Alexander born 2011, and Katarina born 2012.[52] Lederer also has a son by an earlier marriage, Nicholas born 1988.[52]
References
- ISBN 978-3-7290-0064-3.
- ^ a b Klimke, Christoph (May 5, 2012). "Verluste wie faszinierende Ausgrabungen". Die Welt.
- ^ a b Noble, Holcomb B. (June 25, 1998). "Ivo John Lederer, a Scholar of Eastern Europe is Dead at 68". The New York Times.
- ^ "Michael Lederer". Palm Art Press.
- ^ Harris, David (June 11, 1978). "The Short Happy Life of a Child of 'The Land'". New York Times Magazine: 30–33.
- ^ Tefft, Court. "Michael Lederer".
- ^ "Inside one of the Bay Area's last 1960s-style communes, Struggle Mountain, Bay Area's last 1960s-style commune". June 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Press Archive". Michael Lederer.
- ^ a b c "Insight Germany". Deutsche Welle.
- ISBN 978-84-87265-99-0.
- ^ "Dubrovnik tendrá su festival anual sobre Shakespeare a partir de 2012". La Gaceta. January 15, 2012. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014.
- ^ "La web sense nom: Ha mort David Martí". www.lwsn.net.
- ^ Marti, David (May 2001). "Michael Lederer: or the extrapolation between the old and the modern myth". Remanences. Ecriture/Peinture. V: 199–200.
- ^ "Aktuelles - PalmArtPress". www.palmartpress.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
- ^ "Veranstaltungskalender".
- ^ "Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum". Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum.
- ^ "Great Britain. Exchequer. Great Britain Exchequer payment memoranda, 1665–1666 (MS Eng 1678): Guide". Archived from the original on July 3, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
- ^ "Las Venice Tex truck driver". Youtube.
- ^ "Las Venice Tex born-again". Youtube.
- ^ "Las Venice ending segment". Youtube.
- ^ "American Studies Blog". blog.asjournal.org.
- ^ "Berlin is no longer an island". December 21, 2016.
- ^ "U.S. Embassy Literature Series 2023". January 2, 2023.,
- ^ "English Theatre Berlin". January 2, 2023.,
- ^ "U.S. Embassy interview". U.S. Embassy Berlin.
- ^ Sturtz, Ken (January 5, 2023). "His Family's Story and so Many Others'". The Palladium Times.
- ^ "Casual Baggage Discussion and Reading". Youtube.
- ^ "American Studies Journal, America and the Holocaust".
- ^ MTI. "Dubrovniki Shakespeare-fesztivál az előszezonban". Turizmus.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
- ^ Vitkovic, Marijana Aksic (May 5, 2011). "Dogodine stize Shakespeare". List Dubrovacki: 52–53.
- ^ Tutnjevic, Zeljko (May 6, 2011). "Dolazi Shakespeare". Moskar.
- ^ BWW News Desk. "MUNDO OVERLOADUS Opens at PS 122, 9/7". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam. "Mundo Overloadus Will Make World Premiere at PS 122". www.playbill.com. Archived from the original on September 5, 2010. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
- ISBN 978-1-118-34711-9.
- ^ Thomas, Mark (July 11, 2011). "President Josipović meets Dubrovnik Shakespeare Festival". The Dubrovnik Times. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014.
- ^ Bijelic, Gabrijela (March 9, 2011). "DUBROVNIK SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL – NOVA KULTURNA MANIFESTACIJA NA ULICAMA GRADA OD 23. TRAVNJA DO 7. SVIBNJA 2012. 'Oluja' i 'Romeo i Julija' na dubrovačkim trgovima". Slobodna Dalmacija. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
- ^ Thomas, Mark (July 2, 2012). "GUEST OF THE WEEK – MICHAEL LEDERER "To help bring the world to Dubrovnik, and Dubrovnik to the world"". The Dubrovnik Times. Archived from the original on October 10, 2013.
- ^ Thomas, Mark (July 15, 2011). "THE WORLD OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Marin Držić hosts Shakespeare in his home". The Dubrovnik Times. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014.
- ^ Pfeiffer, Martina (March 23, 2024). "An Interview with the founder and Artistic Director of the Dubrovnik Shakespeare Festival". Kulturring Berlin.
- ISBN 978-3-941524-12-5.
- ^ "European Sleeper Trains". San Diego Jewish World.
- ^ "Erzaehlungen auf einer Zugfahrt von Berlin nach Warschau". Berliner Morgenpost. May 4, 2012.
- ^ "The Great Game". PalmArtPress. Archived from the original on December 18, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
- ^ "American Literature Series 2014". U.S. Embassy Berlin.
- ^ Lederer, Michael. "Lederer". InKultura.
- ^ "American Studies Journal Blog". American Studies Journal.
- ^ "Martin Luther University". Muhlenberg Center. October 5, 2017.
- ^ "Leipzig Book Fair". Zeitgeschichtliches Forum.
- ^ "The 2019 PAGE Award Winners". October 15, 2019.
- ^ "National Public Radio".
- ^ "Kunstlerhof Portraits". Wordpress. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012.
- ^ a b "American Studies Journal".
Further reading and interviews
- Interview: Deutsche Welle Television
- Interview: U.S. Embassy Berlin
- Interview: English Theatre Berlin
- Interview: Kulturring Berlin
- Interview: The Palladium Times
- Interview: Buch Magazin
- Interview: The Land Community
- Interview: Forum Magazin
- Interview: Dubrovnik Times
- Interview: Sleeper Trains
- Interview: Radio Cadaques
- Interview: Moskar Magazine Vlasic, Irina. (March 25, 2011) "Malo Je Mjesta Na Svijetu". Moskar Magazine (12–15)
- More Croatian press regarding Dubrovnik Shakespeare Festiva