Author Eva Menasse on Avoiding Digital Fights and Embracing Linguistic Nuance

Austrian author Eva Menasse reflects on the enduring impact of advice given to her decades ago by an editor at the "Profil" magazine: "Eva, try something else." This simple suggestion, she explains, was a polite way of telling her she was falling into a rut, a piece of guidance she has carried with her throughout her writing career and life.

Menasse also touches upon her conscious decision to stay out of what she calls "digital tavern brawls" on social media. While she has actively avoided participating in online arguments, she admits that others sometimes forward her screenshots of negative comments made about her. She expresses a desire to learn how to better detach herself from such feedback, indicating it's a skill she is still developing.

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Eva, try something else.

Further reflections delve into her appreciation for language, listing favorite German words like "Schreckschraube" (a shrewish woman) and "saumselig" (sluggish or dilatory), and highlighting the verb "sich auseinandersetzen" (to grapple with or confront). She also shares a quote from Bertolt Brecht and discusses her parents' approach to her upbringing, valuing their non-interference during her adolescence, which she now sees as a form of supportive independence. The author also touches on overcoming a fear of flying and the comfort derived from self-reliance and a strong support network.

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Only language, pure language.