Matthias Politycki is a sharp and witty essayist, poet, and novelist. His books include Im Schatten der Schrift hier (In the Shadow of the Writing Here, Weismann, 1988) and Jenseits von Wurst und Käse (Beyond Sausage and Cheese, Luchterhand Literaturverlag, 1995). He lives in Hamburg and Munich. (updated 2000)