biography cannot be separated from autobiography: that is, the life written about is inextricably entangled with the life of the biographer.

Ignorant of history, we find it easy to accept our isolation from one another. We are more able to recognize differences than shared experiences and perspectives. History proclaims our common humanity.

biography cannot be separated from autobiography: that is, the life written about is inextricably entangled with the life of the biographer.

Much more than a 20th-century village storyteller, Cees Nooteboom stands as an impressive and inimitable voice among contemporary writers.