Ah, the Tin Drum. I read it as a kid but should go back to it again. I'm glad you've found that creative energy in Gdansk. I found it helped my writing in in Catalonia/Spain, where I've lived for the last 19 years. Do you have a favorite of Grass' thatyou'd recommend?

Georgia Scott I confess that I've never gotten far with The Tin Drum. I don't know why, but it felt like work to read. So, my favorite is the one of his I finished and would reread. Cat and Mouse. It's shorter by several hundred pages and set right in my neighborhood where Grass lived. Our local library is called The Cat and Mouse in his honor. There's also a cat cafe around the corner but that's another story. I pass it going to the shops and look in on the cats. They look back at me through the windows. The doors have gates and are locked. You can't go in without being scrutinized by the staff who guard the cats. I call it Colditz for Cats. They pace when not sleeping and look for a way out. Ah-h but Catalonia. I've been more than once. The last time I went swimming impromptu after lunch. Not a skinny dip but in my underwear. I couldn't resist the water. Inspiring? Absolutely. You are lucky to live there.

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