As those of you who follow this blog know, Two Suitcases, my book project, grew to three volumes some time ago. There was just too much material. My plan was to break the characters’ journey into their years in Vienna, their years in Paris, and their years in the south of France.
Though it’s five years since I began the project, and much of that time I was working on the project with a sense of great urgency – I even dreamed that my mother was telling me “work faster!” once – I stopped for two years when Mama Ganache needed me. And then there was the move to France which caused further delay. In retrospect, though, I think the gaps improved the book. Sorry, Mom.
Recently, as I was researching and writing about the period leading to the 1934 February Uprising (or Austrian Civil War), the parallels to what’s happening in the United States now became unmistakable. I posted an excerpt last year about how Austria became a Fascist dictatorship when Englebert Dollfuss dissolved the parliament and adopted martial law.
I continued writing until I reached 1936, all the while following the news of Trump’s America. Then that sense of urgency returned, and it pushed me to change my plans. The first volume, Red Vienna, would end after the February Uprising. The period when the characters are forced underground in Vienna, 1934-38, would be the second volume, and their period in France, 1938-1940, will be the third.
At that point, I went back and revised and rewrote the first book, which is now called Red Vienna, to prepare it for publication. I’m pleased to say that I’ve begun the process of seeking representation for it.
My real reason for this blog, though, is that I read this morning that Michael Caputo, one of Trump’s toadies, was warning people of armed uprisings, and that sense of urgency returned. I’ve posted an excerpt from Red Vienna below. It was hard to choose a piece because the events happen over a period of years, but this one is a pretty pointed parallel. It takes place immediately after the uprising.
February 18, 1934
Brigittenau, Vienna
Max’s apartment
At four in the morning on February 18, Max Baum, stinking, hungry, and thirsty, furtively unlocked the door to his family’s apartment, slipped in, and immediately locked it behind him. He had climbed out of the sewer at Karl-Marx-Hof just two hours earlier, and managed to make his way home flattened against the walls of buildings, deep in the shadows, through the darkest alleys and streets of the city.
Leaving his mud-caked boots in the hall, he skirted past his sleeping father and went into the kitchen where he threw some bits of coal onto the embers in the stove, and drank down every drop of the boiled water left in the pot. Then he refilled the pot and set it on top of the stove again.
He shivered as he took off his clothes and put on his threadbare bathrobe. It would have been a good thing if he could have thrown those clothes away, but that was out of the question. Instead, he pulled the big galvanized tub out from under the sink and began to fill it, pot by pot, with water heated on the stove. As he waited for the water to heat up, he ate whatever he could find: some dry bread and most of a can of pickled herring. An hour later, when the tub was full enough, he stepped in, sighing deeply as the steaming water surrounded him and slowly warmed him. He washed himself thoroughly and then lay back and relaxed until the water was almost cold. Later, dry from the heat of the fire and wearing his nightshirt, he added another pot of boiling water to the washtub and dropped his filthy clothes into it.
It was after six in the morning when he lay down on the settee. He slept for the next twelve hours, barely stirring when his father came into the room and pulled a blanket over him.
* * *
After covering his son, Peppe left quietly to go to his cafe, where he found Dolf and Fredl sitting in a booth in the back room.
“Quick, sit,” said Dolf.
“It’s safe?” asked Peppe.
“I haven’t seen anything to make me think it’s not. But who knows anymore?” said Fredl. “They’re picking up more of us every day. We’re taking a big risk being here, but being at home could be an even bigger risk. Who knows anything anymore.”
“Max is back,” Peppe told them.
“Thank god!” said Dolf. “Did he tell you where he was?”
“He’s still sleeping.”
“At least he’s home. The news is all very bad.”
“Yes, Dollfuss is telling the world the housing complexes were built as fortresses to store weapons for an armed takeover, and that they stopped it from happening just in time,” Fredl said.
“And they’re putting out that we were in league with the Soviets,” finished Dolf. “The headline on the Fatherland Front paper says ‘Armed Insurrection Averted.’
Fredl said, “They claim only two hundred died, but I’ve heard it’s in the thousands.”
“And they’re hanging more as we speak,” said Peppe.
Eve Neuhaus 
Hi Eve! I’d completely lost trace of you! I haven’t seen anything in months (years?), and am not on social media. What a delight to find this from you. I thought I’d fallen off your contact list and just added my primary email to follow your blog.
Yes, frightening times. I pray the Shift to the New Earth happens before this and this is the 3d timeline of those of lower fequency. And that mine are high enough for the transcention/ascention!
Miss you and your beautiful pictures. Hope this will put me back on the active list. Much love Jo
Hi Jo!
How good to hear from you. We’re not coming back to California this year, unfortunately. Maybe next spring. I wish I could stay for sure.
You didn’t miss anything on my blog. When I’m busy on the book I don’t do many blogs. It’s enough screen time.
Miss you too!
Eve
UGH Yes….
I see it too and can’t believe my eyes or bear what I feel in my heart . There is a good chance the” United States” of America will be gone and the global ripples will cause a greater harm. If Trump wins again, whether by a record number of votes or by cheating, other authoritarian leaders will take advantage of it and we will have World War 3 as I believe the working class has had enough of the inequalities and with social media they have more power now. If he loses, the best we can hope for is that he will resign and have Pence pardon him as he leaves the country. Then we have to worry about his children’s aspirations!
Regardless, I believe the time between Nov 4 and January 20 will be very dangerous.
I am glad you are safe in France.
>
I know. Such depressing times. Watching the west coast burn and knowing my kids are there doesn’t help. I think you’re right about the best case. It’s hard.
phew!
know that from old SA days (daze?)
thank you.
Dark times.
Hello dear Eve,
How wonderful to hear from you and find out you are still inspired and compelled to keep writing! I’m glad you are safe and well in these troubled and disturbing times of covid and social unrest. While I try to believe that we are making progress with loud and diverse voices and actions, I’m not naive that we are in very dangerous times.
I hope that Lisa, Brendan, and Linnea are safe from the fires in CA. Juliette, I believe is living in Italy? (She visited Danica in Mallorca.) I’m sure you’re in constant touch with all of them.
Everyone here is doing well, especially Brendan’s son, Leo, who just turned 6. He is a beautiful, kind, sensitive boy with a great sense of humor.
Please give my love to Tom and, of course, to yourself. I hope we manage to get together in better times.
Love,
Kip
Hi Kip,
How good to hear from you! Troubled times indeed.
The kids are all well, though Lisa, Brendan, and Linnea are all in the Bay Area, which is a terrible place to be right now. Linnea is pregnant, due in April, which would make us very happy if these were other times. As it is, I don’t know if I’ll be able to get back to spend time with her. Zoom helps, and we are in close touch, but it’s not the same. Juliet and Cem are living in Rome, and James is in Pretoria, SA.
It’s so good to hear Leo is doing so well!
Sending you all lots of love,
Eve
The Divine Mother Gaia is making a last-ditch plea to her 7.8 billion huddled, scared and unruly children—all of the ‘isms’ are in the dustbin, and the only saving grace now is LOVE-LOVE-LOVE everything and everybody.
P.S. Nice hearing from you, Eve, and pls give my love to Mr. Tom. Best wishes with your writing projects.
Love and Peace,
Frank
That’s it, Frank! Good to hear from you!
Thank you for including me Eve. You are a dynamo and I encourage you to keep writing. You have so much to say, and yes, the Caputo craziness is sure to stir up more pathology. God bless!
Dennis
Thanks so much for your good wishes, Dennis. I follow your work too!
Well done, Eve: To remain silent to not an option at this time. Your book is important to us.
Thanks so much for your encouragement, Karen. I was hoping we’d see you here before this.
Wishing you all the best in these troubled times.
Bonjour Eve
c’est vrai que les ressemblances entre la situation de 1936 et la nôtre est troublante…. Mais l’histoire ne se reproduit jamais de la même manière. Tirons les leçons du passé et prions pour que la Lumière l’emporte car nous sommes de plus en plus en plus nombreux à éveiller nos consciences. N”ayons pas peur!