This anthology offers an alphabetical collection of 26 word portraits uncovering the failings, exploits, and dreams of everyday hopeful, murderous, glamorous, desperate, real women-next-door.
Timeframe: May 1964 - May 2018
Setting: from Cape Town, South Africa over Taipei, Taiwan & passing through Basel, Switzerland.
The authoress, as seen by a tactful colleague
Ansi Verwey - von Fleckenstein
BOUNCE BACK BABES
26 word portraits of real women
©2019 Ansi Verwey - von Fleckenstein
Author: Ansi Verwey - von Fleckenstein
Cover painted by PEDRITO Editor: Anonymous BOSH
Back page: original art by ANSI. She recommends this image as protection against a lack of contentment, coffee or decorum. Mental application of the sketch guarantees immunity to charlatans.
ISBN: 978-3-7497-7781-5 (Paperback)
ISBN: 978-3-7497-7782-2 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 978-3-7497-7783-9 (e-Book)
Publisher & Print: tredition GmbH, Halenreie 40-44, 22359 Hamburg
Das Werk, einschließlich seiner Teile, ist urheberrechtlich geschützt. Jede Verwertung ist ohne Zustimmung des Verlages und des Autors unzulässig. Dies gilt insbesondere für die elektronische oder sonstige Vervielfältigung, Übersetzung, Verbreitung und öffentliche Zugänglichmachung.
Motivating guardian angels, without whom this book would not have been possible:
Anonymous Bosh, Sofia Pavone, Michael Rath, Matthias & Peter Wegele, Emiro von Berejesa †2019, Katja & Hannah Beer, Bianca Gierok, Ralf H. Dorweiler, Elena Filipova, Michael Leibundgut, Phoebe Lin, Eva Buffoni, Gerda Pretorius, Helga Karen, Hinako Yoshikawa, Iryna Krasnovska, Lussys von Scajuka †2018, Ivan Konsulov, Raquel Rey Ramos, Shalini Treffer, Yuval Zorn, Armando Braswell.
INDEX
1. Aurora und Arnauld in the KUMQUAT Store
2. Brigitte Brandt: No Black Eye in the Brocki
3. Cordelia and the charming chandelier
4. Donna researches job alternatives
5. Eva’s ghosts at the watering hole
6. Frene: in search of yogurt
7. GIULIA’S SUMMER COLLECTION: a pocket True Crime Story
8. Excerpt from the chronicles of Hilda
9. Isolde and the quest for the ideal man
10. Red Juliane’s Unified Theory of Colour
11. Kerstin’s Cat: A Song of Lamentation with a Funeral attachment
12. Literary Leonie’s Silverfish
13. Martine researches men
14. Grouchy Nora
15. Olivia at the opera
16. Petra pulverises the Monday blues
17. Visiting quirky Queenie
18. Regina's racehorse
19. Sleepless on Sophia’s sofa
20. Tina at the Tinguely Fountain
21. Uschi at the dentist
22. Veronika; life in bite-sized portions
23. Wilhelmine wanders the woods
24. XANTHIPPE
25. Yolinda’s Yodelling Horn
26. Zippy Zoë
PROLOGUE
This collection of portraits of REAL WOMEN is my homage and thanksgiving to all the PROUD BROADS* who have inspired me through the last five decades and helped me keep my focus firmly on the silver lining - NO MATTER how many dark clouds threaten to suck the joy out of life. From Day One my grandmother determined: every cloud has its silver lining.
These short life sketches are Portraits of Events covering ground from Cape Town (South Africa) to Basel ( Switzerland) between May1964 and May 2018 that PROUD BROADS*, experienced, wished, dreamed, grew out of the habit of and brought to the table.
*PROUD BROAD (German: VOLLWEIB) is a positive expression, in this context: a female being who daily discovers her femininity, expresses and defines it anew - with her iPhone in her bra and emancipation in the air.
HARD WON INSOUCIANCE
a self-portrait
Recently a cheery lady in her seventies served me up a double-edged compliment when she asked, with all the earnestness of a wartime presidential interviewer: ”How do you manage to waltz through life in such carefree fashion?”
Twelve years ago such a question would have had me on the floor quietly giggling and drooling until the nice men in white coats gently took me to a padded pink rubber room.
As we now live in 2019, any potential jaw-dropping on my part was arrested well short of the floor by my spontaneously rising interrogatory eyebrow.
Had I just been attacked by a compliment? Or was this another sign from the Universe not to take on too much at once?
After more than five decades of life spent collecting experiences, both desired and despised, inner reflection has developed an answer that saves me time and nerves, “How? Honestly - with ritual self-forgiveness the occasional small luxury, and regular amusement."