Steffen Wöll

I’m on my way to present yet another H.P. Lovecraft paper, this time at a conference in Thessaloniki, Greece. Planning this trip, however, presented a bit of a problem. The only flight from Berlin was too early (7am) to reach from Leipzig without sleeping at the airport. I’m getting too old for that, so I am doing the next best thing, i.e. sleeping near the airport in world-famous Berlin-Adlershof (in Treptow-Köpenick, literally “eagle’s court”). I’m guessing the name has to do with its proximity to the airport, using the eagle as synonym for a plane; at least that’s my entirely unfounded theory. Of course, both the intercity coach as well as the (world-infamous) S-Bahn (double frowning face) were bigly delayed.... Read More

It is a travelling of melancholy, years since my last long train journey through Germany. Fog, low hanging November clouds, specks of light on grey green brown patterns, rows of trees marking edges and possessions. Horses, cows, a flock of geese, a single wading stork pass by the window. I have to switch trains three times to get to tubingen. Read More

I gave my talk at nine (9) am (on a Sunday). Afterwards, I met someone I didn’t knew I knew who’s from Poland. Nice to meet at least someone at the conference I (didn’t knew I) knew. So that was it, first flight was, of course, overbooked; had to check my cabin bag for some reason. Flight from Paris to Berlin was late (again). Felt like hours waiting at the baggage claim, grabbed the bag and made a run for the bus stop. Motor was running, blinking to the left, starting to pull into traffic. I waved awkwardly and the driver must’ve seen that because he stopped the bulky green vehicle. Nice guy let me in, stowed my bags, everybody... Read More

I think I’ve never been so tired in my life. I am in St. Louis now. It took me a mere 50 (fifty) hours to get here. It is 9pm now and I was just surrounded by a motor cycle gang. Grown men on those strange, small bikes, doing wheelies and burnouts, loud as all hell (still, got some good videos, totally worth it). But let’s try to make sense (I’m a little drunk now but, as always, am most fearful of forgetting what in fact has occurred, and of which I shall now give a verbatim account for you, my faithful reader). If you remember, I was still situated at that haunted and foreboding hotel in Paris (Ibis). It... Read More

What a day. I almost forgot how much fun traveling could be. Fun and “fun” that is. To make a long story short(ish): The flight from Berlin was way late due to thick fog (that would not yield before the late October’s sun). Waiting in line for literally 4 (four) hours, I met a guy who works for the government. Let’s call him John. Ok, his name was actually John. We shared some travel stories and he suggested I write a book about it. Well, don’t worry: I won’t, but it did make me think about traveling and what it means (I don’t know, really. And I most definitely won’t reduce “it” to a smart-ass sentence someone would photoshop over... Read More