Where does ‘blauracke’ come from? When I decided to sign up for CBR I had just read a newspaper article about the Blauracke (the European roller), which is a beautiful bird but unfortunately almost extinct here, so I chose it as my handle for CBR. It was really just a spur-of-the-moment decision. You have been reading some heavy stuff lately! (Lots of plagues; Chernobyl…) What author/genre do you turn to when you need a comfort read? One of my favourite authors is Leo Perutz who […]

How long have you been volunteering with CBR, and what is your area of expertise? I just volunteered at the beginning of this year. My areas of expertise are mostly physical, if I am going to say that I’m an expert at all at anything, haha. I worked in theater for a long time – doing both props and set design- but it was a terribly stressful environment. For the last few years I have been teaching other adults behavioral and trauma informed interventions to […]

Your bio says you joined Cannonball to “once again” prioritize reading in your life. Has it worked? You betcha! Based on data alone: last year I only managed to read one book, this year I’m up to 25! I thrive on goals and deadlines, so participating in Cannonball Read has really motivated me to return to the written word. I sometimes feel quite overwhelmed with entertainment options – there are so many great TV shows and games at my fingertips. Committing to a Half Cannonball […]

Your bio says you sought out CBR to use writing as a release from the stress of the political atmosphere, which is a great reason! Have you found it helpful? As the ant said when pissing into the ocean, “Every bit helps.” Honestly, the political environment is so toxic and upsetting right now, I believe we all need multiple mechanisms to cope. Writing does help. So does alcohol. In one of your reviews, you said that “There are some books one reads as a teenager […]