Else Lasker-Schüler Book order

'I am wildly in love with someone, but I'll say no more about it. That way it could always be .. you.' Set around the Cafe des Westens, the epicenter of early twentieth century Expressionist Berlin, Else Lasker-Schuler chronicles the demise of her marriage in a series of letters to her husband Herwarth Walden, publisher of the avant-garde journal Der Sturm. Assuming the guise of alter egos such as Tino of Baghad or the Prince of Thebes, she weaves a web of Oriental fantasies to inform her husband of her infidelities. In so doing, she transforms a personal crisis into a metaphor for the end of an era. Starring a host of leading artists, including Karl Kraus, Alfred Doblin, Oskar Kokoschka, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Emil Nolde and Arnold Schonberg, My Heart offers an unforgettable insider's glimpse into one of Berlin's most artistically vibrant and fascinating periods. This translation by Sheldon Gilman and Robert Levine - the first English-language edition to appear to date - features an introduction by Professor Jakob Hessing of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a glossary of relevant names and places."

The life and work of Else Lasker-Schüler reveal a unique blend of personal tragedy and artistic flamboyance. Known for her striking costumes and presence in Berlin's cafés, she infused her poetry with themes of sexuality and spirituality, challenging conventional norms. While often dismissed as decadent, her work is reexamined as a form of iconoclasm, reflecting emotional depth and aligning with the cultural zeitgeist of her time, including the influence of Sarah Bernhardt and Freud's theories on sexuality.