Asiel • Tina Farifteh • @1MEMO_20261111 • Michel van der Burg • Miracles•Media • ”Wat voor mensen zijn het eigenlijk, die Nederlanders? Zijn het goede mensen?“
Die vraag kreeg kunstenaar, fotograaf en filmmaker Tina Farifteh van een vrouw die net in Nederland was aangekomen, tijdens haar onderzoek in aanmeldcentrum Ter Apel. De vraag liet haar niet meer los. Support crowdfunding boek … Excellent project https://www.voordekunst.nl/projecten/21822-asiel
Afscheid • Marja Pinckaers • 1MEMO_20261104 • Michel van der Burg • michelvanderburg.com • Zojuist binnengekomen , het pas verschenen nieuw autobiografisch werk van schrijfster Marja Pinckaers — een uitgave in eigen beheer in een beperkte oplage als boek en e-boek, met een vormgeving die uitnodigt tot lezen.
Afscheid • Herinneringen aan mijn vader
…gaat over een dochter en haar vader. Tijdens zijn leven is hij voor haar vrijwel onbereikbaar. Na zijn vroege dood probeert zij hun relatie te duiden. Via zijn tweede vrouw doet ze een aantal bijzondere en toevallige ontdekkingen. Die leiden ertoe dat ze er in berust. Het is wat het is, en daar moet je het mee doen.
Marja Pinckaers (1949) schrijft sinds haar vroegste jeugd verhalen en gedichten. Zij speelt met taal, noemt zichzelf een impressionistische vlek en schildert graag in woorden. Met een soepele pen en een gepaste dosis humor onderzoekt zij wat zich voordoet in het leven. Ook zwaardere thema’s brengt zij beeldend voor het voetlicht. Eerder werk o.m. De cirkel, hommage aan Marie Hertzdahl- Bloemgarten (Lemmens, 2011), opgenomen in de Digitale Bibliotheek der Nederlandse Letteren; 16 versie 61 (Aspekt, 2014).
Notities
Afscheid • Herinneringen aan mijn vader. Marja Pinckaers (Den Haag/Bommerig 2026). Omslag : Kavel 1492. Luik. J. Vink. 1947
16versie61 • Marja Pinckaers • 1MEMO_20140829 • Michel van der Burg • michelvanderburg.com • Dutch book (tr. 16edition61) with punctum by Marja Pinckaers – Quote : I make something every day. Then there is something in the world in the evening that was not there in the morning …. Done.
NL : 100 pagina’s van meesterlijk korte zinnen. Zinnetjes die je proeft — met ‘punctum’ als een foto. Citaat : “Elke dag maak ik wat. Dan is er ‘s avonds iets op de wereld wat er ‘s ochtends niet was…. Uit.” URL https://michelvanderburg.com/2014/08/29/16versie61-marja-pinckaers-20140829/
Tuesday , November 19, 2013, Simon Gronowski arrives at Station Liège-Guillemins on his way to give a series of testimonies all day at the Saint Sépulcre school in Liège, Belgium. When he gets off on the platform, and teacher Philippe Renette and I – while filming – welcome him, Simon surprises us, showing me last Saturday’s news in the German national daily newspaper Die Welt (The World) at the front page of the weekly supplement Die Literarische Welt (The Literary World).
Unlikely Friends • Feinde Wie Wir
In the article ‘Feinde wie wir’ (Enemies like us) in the German newspaper Die Welt of November 16, 2013 (1), cultural journalist Felix Stephan reports on his conversation in Berlin with Simon Gronowski and Koenraad Tinel, which took place after their presentation there at the 13th International Literature Festival Berlin (2) of their book (3,4) ‘Enfin libérés’ / ‘Eindelijk bevrijd’ (Finally liberated) — the story of their history as children of war and the special friendship since their first meeting a year earlier, in 2012 (5).
The lead of the story reads as follows (my translation):
A story of reconciliation: Belgians Simon Gronowski and Koenraad Tinel were children during World War II: one a Jew whose family was murdered, the other the son of a committed Nazi. Decades later, they discover how close their lives were and send an emphatic message to Europe.
French, German, with English subtitles.
Enemies like us • Miracles•Media • 20250915_1 • TakeNode d6238cf6-2521-42fe-9323-a90d521a94f6
2. Finally Free after 70 years. Simon Gronowski and Koenraad Tinel (Belgium). internationales literaturfestival berlin (13.ilb), Sep 7, 2013.
3. Ni victime, ni coupable, enfin libérés. French edition (2013) by Simon Gronowski, Koenraad Tinel, David Van Reybrouck. Renaissance du livres ISBN 978-2507051051
4. Eindelijk bevrijd – geen schuld, geen slachtoffer. Dutch edition (2013) by Simon Gronowski, Koenraad Tinel, David Van Reybrouck. Hannibal ISBN 978-9491376405 . Reissue (2021) 978-9464366204
6. Enemies like us • Miracles•Media • 20250915_1 • TakeNode | Still (frame 340) Simon Gronowski shows Die Literarische Welt at Station Liège-Guillemins, Nov 19, 2013 , with a portrait photo of Simon Gronowski and Koenraad Tinel by Belgian photographer Dieter Telemans – https://www.dietertelemans.com
Citation info : News | Miracles Moment #5 | Miracles•Media | 20250915 | ISAN 0000-0007-36B4-0005-4-0000-0000-P | TakeNode 49f6c290-d00e-4969-9fec-fa1163517991
Traffic at the Boulevard du Régent in Brussels, 12 April 2025. Parallel on the right the Avenue des Arts with library Filigranes, in the process of moving to the new location on the Boulevard de Waterloo in Brussels, which opened yesterday on World Book and Copyright Day.
Citation info : Brussels Boulevard • Michel van der Burg • Miracles•Media • @1MEMO 20250424 • TakeNode 83f7585e-4d42-455f-98ce-7bea0c244ce3
‘Spruitjessoep’ , dutch Brussels sprout soup, in the Daily Cookbook (Dagkookboek by Marianne Stuit) I bought new — two copies for both me and my friend — in 1971-2. I was living in Oegstgeest, Holland, near Leiden, as a student Biology (Biochemistry) at the Leiden University. I vividly remember, sliding across the floor (with a sprained ankle) between my tiny kitchen and student room – in the attic of my landlady’s house – with a large enamel pot of Brussels sprout soup.
Citation info : Daily Cookbook • Michel van der Burg • Miracles.Media • @1MEMO 20250209 • TakeNode 092c41bb-18f0-4430-adb4-74b66b1c6933
RESCUE RUN : Capt. Jake Rogers’ Daring Return to Occupied Europe • John Winn Miller
After escaping the treacherous waters of WWII, Captain Jake Rogers leads his crew on a daring mission across Nazi-occupied Europe to rescue the father of his beloved, entangled in a web of espionage, betrayal, and relentless pursuit.
Review of John Winn Miller’s novel ‘Rescue Run’
John Winn Miller, a veteran of investigative journalism for decades, masterfully weaves historical detail into his World War II novel Rescue Run. The story follows American ship’s captain Jake Rogers, who, after his U.S. Liberty ship carrying war supplies is wrecked in the North Atlantic, first lands in Ireland. He then sets out with a few of his loyal men on a perilous mission to rescue the father of Miriam Maduro, the love of his life, from the Westerbork transit camp in Nazi-occupied Holland.
A gruelling journey follows from Amsterdam across Nazi-occupied Europe to Spain – on foot, by train, and by boat – via a long series of hiding places, historical locations and events, aided by well-known and lesser-known resistance organisations and historical figures, besieged by con men, double agents, gangsters and pursued by a ruthless Dutch bounty hunter.
As a non-native English speaker, I initially struggled a bit with the first few chapters, particularly the maritime terms and rich language used in the sea adventure with the Liberty ship, besides the introduction of the many characters. However, once past those pages, the novel became a true page-turner. The gripping, almost cinematic narrative had me finishing the book in just two or three days, despite also spending some time online searching for even more historical context, for example when Rogers is helped by the Dutch resistance group ‘Groep 2000’ led by Jacoba van Tongeren, and when characters like Etty Hillesum and Audrey Hepburn appear in the story.
Blending Fiction and Nonfiction
I rarely read fiction these days — almost exclusively occupied with non-fiction — but John Miller’s work intrigued me. I was curious to see how he managed to incorporate the reality of Nazi-occupied Europe, and in particular the Westerbork transit camp, into fiction. The result is exceptional. The blend of fiction and nonfiction strengthens the narrative, bringing the past vividly to life. Miller also provides an extensive set of notes at the end of the book, offering in-depth background information on the events and historical figures featured in the story, detailing also what happened to them after the events of the novel.
I especially appreciate how John Winn Miller brings the wartime past to life in Rescue Run, with accuracy and rich detail, from multiple perspectives. His cinematic storytelling draws readers into a narrative that inspires further exploration of this history.
Michel van der Burg, filmmaker, editor of Settela•Com
Notes
Additional Information:
Title: Rescue Run: Capt. Jake Rogers’ Daring Return to Occupied Europe
John Winn Miller is an award-winning investigative reporter, foreign correspondent, editor, publisher, screenwriter, indie movie producer and novelist. | Photo Bancroft Press. | More info at Miller’s website URL https://www.johnwinnmiller.com
John Winn Miller
Though Rescue Run is a sequel to Miller’s first novel, The Hunt for the Peggy C, no prior knowledge of the first book is required. A summary of the prequel is included for new readers or those needing a refresher.
Westerbork Film Frame
This review was prompted by my contribution of a still (image below) from the Westerbork film for the book jacket/cover, in collaboration with designer Christine Van Bree , and author John Winn Miller. John kindly provided me with a link for a free download of the Advance Reader Copy on the BookSirens’ platform. Since I’m documenting the Westerbork film through the online magazine Settela•Com, I happily accepted BookSiren’s invitation to join the review team.
Deportation | 20240225 | Settela•Com | Commander Albert Gemmeker oversees the deportation of Jews, Sinti, and Roma from the Westerbork transit camp May 19, 1944 | Frame 7426 from Deportation Westerbork Film | 20210719 | Settela•Com | ISSN 2949 9313
Citation info : Review RESCUE RUN • 20240927 • Michel van der Burg • Settela•Com • ISSN 2949-9313
