TheFlemishwriterDani?lRobberechts(1937-1992)refusedtoidentifyhisbooksasnovels,stories,oressays,accordingthemallequalstatusas,simply,writing.Thisliberationfromgenregiveshiswork,forallitsapparentsimplicity,anelusive,hypnoticquality,andnomoresothaninhisdebut,“ArrivinginAvignon,“whichrecordsayoungman’sfirstencounterwiththatlabyrinthinecity,andhislikewisemeanderingrelationshipwithagirlfromhishometown-andindeedvirtuallyeverywomanhemeets.Hesistantandcautious,unablequitetoenternorturnaway,theyoungmanseemstocircleAvignonendlessly,intheprocessattemptingtodelayhisinevitabledescentintomaturityandmonogamy.Whatseemsatfirstlikeacrossbetweenamemoirandaguidebookcomesintimetobethestoryofayoungman’sdoggedyetfutilequesttoknowhisownmind-unlessit’stheancientcityofAvignonitselfthatisourrealprotagonist:amysterythatcanbeapproached,butneverwhollysolved.
simply stories SIMPLY STORIES WRITING
