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4 DW-Akademie German-American relations: A portrait of Steven Bloom Januar 2011 International Media Studies STRANGE PROFESSION But what Steven finds even more annoying about teaching is the necessity of giving grades. “It’s so artificial! It’s impossible to be a fair judge. I would prefer just to write comments – for example what I liked or what I found superficial”, the professor says. Nevertheless, Steven Bloom has been teaching American studies since 1970 – in the US, Germany, Italy and Poland. And he never gets bored with it. “I read new things, try to think differently. Each class is like a performance with a certain amount of tension, but never a routine”, he explains and them confesses: “Teaching at university is a very strange profession: in order to be qualified for it you don’t need to know anything about teaching. It’s a profession of people who mostly like research and writing”. WRITING IDENTITY The class is over and Steven rushes back home to continue the work on his new book. He keeps impatiently looking at his watch. The only thing he wants to do right now is writing. Steven Bloom likes to joke that he lives behind his desk, not in Germany. Nonetheless, the town of Heidelberg, where he has spent half of his life and created most of his books, has served as a nice backdrop for his writing. Big cities no longer inspire Steven, who was born and raised in New York. Steven writes five hours a day, but does not expect to get famous or rich from his books. Once he finishes a book, he automatically starts to think of the next one. “I’ll probably run out of time before I’ve run out of ideas”, says the writer laughing. He realizes that there is never a guarantee that his current novel will ever be published. And even if it does see the light – there is no guarantee that it will be sold. The scene of his first published novel No New Jokes is set in New York in 1949-50. Its characters are American Jews – Archie Feinstein, Jack Goldfarb, Meyer Woolf, Izzy and others. They discuss the Korean War, anti-Semitism, baseball, religion or women and try to reduce the uncertainty in their lives by telling old Jewish jokes – which happens to be the specialization of professor Bloom. Two factors make Jewish humor special, he explains: “It’s a social activity, crucial for such a verbal culture as that of the Jews. And: in a hostile world, where one cannot count on God, jokes can help to feel a little better for a moment”. The same humorous characters inhabit Blooms second novel Stellt mir eine Frage (Ask me a question). Steven says that he knows these characters well and likes them. “I do hear their voices. However I don’t lose the reality that it is me controlling whatever they do”, the writer adds. His favorite character is Izzy – a young Polish Jew who fought in the World War II and is constantly seeking personal happiness. It was Steven’s father, who served as a prototype for Izzy. He was a real Polish Jew, who immigrated to the US at the age of 10 and later went to North Africa and Italy with the US troops. He never told his children anything about his war experience, except for the fact that American cigarettes were the main currency during that time. DECISION FOR LIFE Neither Bloom’s father, nor his mother have learned good English or received higher education. The best position his father had ever had was that of a cleaning man at a post office. Therefore Steven didn’t have a role model for education in his family. Since he played football in high school, he decided to get a degree in sports. However, when he saw university teachers standing in front of an audience, talking about books, it seemed like a very pleasant occupation to him. And the decision for life was made: he was to become a university teacher. Steven’s life as a writer turned out to be tougher. Bloom says that it is easier for him to push a manuscript through a publisher in Germany than in the US. But he still tries to sell his texts in America. “If you are a writer, you have to be used to rejections and keep trying”, he admits. MASTER OF DIALOGUE Bloom’s main weapon is his sense of humor. His speech is interspersed with jokes. “The master of dialogue” – this is how German newspapers called him in their literary reviews, praising his art of the conversational ping-pong. But Steven is also a curious listener who eagerly asks questions and expresses lively interest in every conversation. Maybe he is collecting material for his future books? “As a writer I don’t have to tell the truth, my only responsibility is to be interesting”, he says. Well, some people may definitely have to beware. In autumn 2011 Steven Bloom is to release a book about the mayor of Heidelberg and his wife. PRIVILEGED FOREIGNERS Thirty-five years ago he followed his wife Sara, an opera singer, who came to Heidelberg to find a job. White Americans are very privileged foreigners in Germany, so the Bloom couple did not have a problem with that, Steven recalls. And thanks to their English they could integrate easily into their new society. His national identity is not principal for him, Steven admits. The most vital to him is to be a writer, father and teacher. INTELLIGENT LEADER Tuesday. 18.00. The library of the German – American Institute (DAI) closes for regular admission. Only members of the Discussion group of the DAI may enter now. This club has been run by Professor Bloom for a quarter of a century. People of different ages, occupations and origins come here every week to practice their English and get a chance to discuss topics like “How patriotic should a citizen be?” or “Is honesty the best policy?” “This man is from Taiwan, now he is a citizen of Germany”, Steven says as soon as he sees the first visitor. “But he complains that nobody perceives him as a German”, he adds. It is obvious that he knows quite a bit about the lives of the people around him, thanks to his inexhaustible attention and empathy. No trace of the restraint and tension that professor Bloom revealed in the morning in class. His face brightens up, he gesticulates freely and jokes non-stop. “These people come here voluntarily. They have rich experience and unlike the students are very active in discussions. The only trouble here is to stop some of them talking”, Steven says all smiles. These evenings have become an important part of the week for many participants. “Our leader Steven is great. I’ve never seen such an intelligent and entertaining person as him”, says a nurse Theresa Hartl, who has been a member of the discussion group for 15 years. “We are like a big family here”. Literally, one may say. It was here in the DAI club that Steven’s daughter Zoe met her future husband Christoph. Will this story turn into the prose of Steven Bloom? Well, that could be at least one component in the formula of his first bestseller. “As a writer I don’t have to tell the truth: my only responsibility is to be interesting!” by Amalia OGANJANYAN M onday. 9.00. Small lecture room of the University of Heidelberg. Professor Steven Bloom is buried in a heap of paper, up to his ears in preparations. He looks like a student diligently using his last minutes before a big exam. A final glimpse at his watch – and the class begins. Today Steven will guide his students through the history of America’s wars. Completely grey-haired, with his white moustache and beard, at first glance Steven Bloom resembles a sad Santa Claus. Once he starts talking with his audience, his large eyes light up and the Santa becomes young. His very American jeans and backpack make him look even younger. Thirty minutes are almost nothing if you have to cover the nuances of a complex political and historical topic like the one Steven has to present now. He juggles with facts, comparisons, quotes of Obama and Lincoln. But it’s still difficult to involve this young audience into discussion. Even humor doesn’t help. This annoys the professor, because he would like to reduce the distance, collaborate with his students and learn from them as well. He often thinks about his motherland, the USA, where students call their professors by first names and usually take active part in their classes. Favorite writers: J.Joyes, V.Nabokov, I.B.Singer, P.Roth Favorite music: Good one, like jazz, opera. Favorite holiday: I don’t need holidays. I have an easy life and work whenever I have a chance. Favorite time of a day: Early morning, I get up at 5.oo Are you a fatalist? I even don’t know, what destiny means. The only thing you can say about all people in a room is that they will die. The word you use more often: Yes. Can you live without writing? I would not want to. STEVEN’S FAVORITE JEWISH JOKE A man is looking for something at the courtyard, his friend asks him: - What are you looking for? The man answers: - I lost my key. - Are you sure you lost it here? - No, I lost it on the road, but the light here is better. White Americans are privileged foreigners in Germany LAST MINUTE QUESTIONS Steven Bloom at a Christmas market Photo: Amalia Oganjanyan “ ”
