Kapitel 13
Article Thurineren
Front page and excerpt from Thurineren, October 2015
By Christian Dan Jensen, Thurineren:
”The smell of wild roses and sea water mingled with the beauty of late summer and a touch of melancholia. I walked down the pea gravel paved path. White sails shone bright against the evening blue sea. It was one of those unusually lovely evenings of late August in which you would want to immerse yourself.”
Thus begins chapter 1 of the coming novel, The Glass Wall, by Nanna Grønbech Petersen. And how do I know that, since the book has not been published yet? I know it because its author has chosen to share excerpts from her new book during its process on her blog, blog.ngpart.com, that she has named: The Glass Wall – a Novel in the making. – For me, it is a whole new way of working creatively; Sharing my considerations and ideas during the process of my new novel, The Glass Wall, says Nanna Grønbech Petersen.
The Glass Wall is the second novel by Nanna Grønbech Petersen. Prior to this, her Fantasy Children’s book: Magda on the Planet of the Dragons, has been published, this is about a girl called Magda, who feels let down by her parents who fight all the time and are too busy with their work. But then one night, she meets the young dragon, Dragild, and together they travel to the planet of the dragons. A good book, which is also about friendships and about remembering the true and good values in life, about love, imagination, being present, and spending time together. Her new novel, which she herself describes as ‘Magical Realism’, is very much inspired by the somewhat odd and twisted surroundings. There is no fixed date for when The Glass Wall needs to be done and ready for publication. But if you follow the process on the blog, where both images and text reveal the author’s thoughts about the contents of this novel, it may be hard to wait…
Excerpt from chapter 7
October Year 2015
I had some time on my hand for I did not have to be in school until later, that is why I decided to walk with my bike along the water. The usual route, down the road to the left, out on the patch of asphalt. Past the first ship yard. I soon reached the small fisherman’s hut, where I parked my bike. The house was black and made out of wood. A boat turned upside down was used for the roof. The windows were painted white. I wondered if there was something special inside the house which was always locked up with a rather big padlock on the door. I got my SLR camera out of the bag, and sat down on the bench beside the house. There were always new things to be discovered through the camera. I removed the cap from the lens and turned it on, then I caught a boat bridge and the sea. I turned around with the camera. Looked around. I zoomed in on the padlock, where a big spider had created its cobweb. I shot a few pictures, and put the camera away again. Two wild geese flew past me above my head. The sun broke through the clouds, and silver stars flickered on the waves, waves of restlessness poured over me with a great force. What is my true goal? I wondered, and picked a rose-hip, squeezed it open making its seeds appear. I looked at the fisherman’s hut. I threw away the rose-hip and got up. I looked in through the round window in the door. The window was matt from dust and there were cobwebs on it as on the other two windows. The cobweb stuck to my fringe, it caught my forehead and nose. I stroked my face in one swift movement and removed the web. I could not see much through the small window, it was dark inside. I went to the window on the right, through this I could make out a picture of different knots, a bunch of fishing nets, a rope, a green thermal jacket, and some fenders. I took one step back. Something moved inside behind the window. Was there someone inside?
Glass Wall Photo
Glass Wall Photo
18. December
Excerpt from chapter 12
November Year 2015
Laura looked out of the window, it had begun to snow. A fine white blanket of snow soon covered the garden. She glanced at a small rose bush, it still bore flowers right here in the world which was turning white. It was afternoon. She needed some fresh air, and put on her coat, and went into the garden. She paused by the pine and looked at the rose in the snow. She turned her head and discovered some small imprints crossing the lawn, they were the size of a hedgehog’s footprints. She frowned, under normal circumstances, a hedgehog would curl up to a small spiky lump and hibernate now. Perhaps it was not a hedgehog at all? With curiosity, she began following the tracks, wondering where they might lead her? They began by the bushes and led her right across the garden and over to the hedge. She pushed away some branches, and through a hole in the hedge, she got out onto the pavement, which she continued along for a while. The imprints in the snow were clear, fine and small. Laura sensed a strong determination in them, they continued down the slope towards the sea. Now she was down by the still, dark water. The tracks went on along the path to the left, past the massive, dead ship yard without sound or smell. Right in front of the fisherman’s hut, the tracks ended. She paused at some distance from the hut. The door was ajar. Could the animal have gone inside?
17. December
Today’s word is Blue
Blue
BLUE
B L U E
You can get blue roses in Venice.Blue is an amazing film by Krzysztof Kieślowski. I have painted many blue masks. I have painted many blue landscapes. I have painted many blue oceans. Some old ladies get their grey or white hair tinted blue. I have mixed feelings about the blues. I love my very blue shirt from Ilse Jacobsen, even though the buttons have cracks. Midnight blue is magical. Blue. Blue. Blue.
16. December
1st excerpt from chapter 11
November Year 1915
A smell of fish surrounded the cave as an invisible veil. Mostly flat sea fish had been netted on this November day. Jonathan had just skinned the freshly caught fish. In the night the dream had returned to him, but the ending had been different from how it usually was. He thought about the dream:
A young girl stands behind a thick glass wall. She has long, red hair. Her skin is fair, with a slightly bluish tint like moonlight on water. She has narrow, green eyes. Jonathan looks further down, her neck is ling an slender, her breasts medium-sized, and she is rather tall. He starts talking to her: – We shall meet, you and I. There is something we have to put right together, he entreats. He pauses and repeats the sentence. But he notices that the words do not reach her. Frowning slightly, she gives him a puzzled look…
15. December
2nd excerpt from chapter 10
October Year 2015
The treetops still bore leaves, at the place where she stood. the harsh flapping sound was right above her. Flapping wings tore the beautiful coloured leaves of the treetops in hard relentless movements. Between the trees, towards the water, she could make out something dark, something big, the size of a human being. It went on towards the water, and had soon disappeared. Laura froze, glaring into what had just been a magical morning haze, but in a flash had changed into a wall of heavy fog and strange shadows…
When Laura came home, she wrote:
LOVE and LIGHT WILL ALWAYS WIN
Sometimes it’s cloudy
Sometimes it’s foggy
Sometimes it’s dark
But LIGHT is STRONGEST
LOVE is STRONGEST
LIGHT will always WIN
LOVE will always WIN
LIGHT and LOVE will WIN FOREVER