“An Evening with Thomas Meinecke" at the German American Heritage Center -- April 18.
Saturday, April 18, 5:30 p.m.
German American Heritage Center, 712 West Second Street, Davenport IA
With the featured guest a German novelist, musician, and radio DJ currently living in pre-alpine Bavaria south of Munich, An Evening with Thomas Meinecke enjoys a special presentation at Davenport's German American Heritage Center on April 18, the author's books always fueled by music, including that of renowned Davenport musician Bix Beiderbecke.
Meinecke was born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1955. He is the author of five novels, all of which use an innovative writing technique similar to music sampling. This approach allows him to deal with a variety of topics, from popular culture, music, and gender roles to the German, Jewish, and African Diaspora in the United States. When he isn’t busy writing, he plays in the experimental rock band Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle (F.S.K.) – Grman for “Voluntary Self-Control” – and works as a club DJ in Berlin.
Additionally, Meinecke studied theatre, German literature, and communication at Munich's Ludwig Maximilian University, earning his master's degree and writing for the underground magazine Mode & Verzweiflung. He is the author of six innovative novels, including The Church of John F. Kennedy, Lookalikes, and Tomboy. Meinecke and his wife, the artist and musician Michaela Melián, have one daughter, and presently live in the countryside south of Munich.
The April 18 event will feature refreshments, conversation, and listening sessions with Meinecke as he shares his love of music and admiration for Bix Beiderbecke, about whom Meinecke states: "A poster of him with his cornet hung in my room when I was a teenager. On my tour across the United States in April with my novels, it is a dream come true to come to Davenport and listen to some of my favorite Bix records with you and talk about the mystery of his very special music."
An Evening with Thomas Meinecke will be presented at Davenport's German American Heritage Center on April 18, admission to the 5:30 p.m. event is free with suggested $10 donations greatly appreciated, and a cash bar will be available. For more information on the evening, call (563)322-8844 and visit GAHC.org.
