Rainald Goetz
Rainald Maria Goetz (born 24 May 1954, in Munich) is a German author, playwright and essayist. Biography. After studying History and Medicine in Munich and earning a degree (PhD and M.D) in each, he soon concentrated on his writing. His first published works, especially his novel "Irre" ("Insane"), published in 1983, made him a cult author of the intellectual left. To the delight of his fans and the dismay of some critics, he mixed neo-expressionist writing with social realism in the vein of Alfred Döblin and the fast pace of British pop writers such as Julie Burchill . During a televised literary event in 1983, Goetz slit his own forehead with a razor blade and let the blood run down his face until he finished reading. Goetz has the reputation of an enthusiastic observer of media and pop culture. He has embraced avant-garde philosophers such as Foucault and Luhmann as well as the DJs of the techno movement, especially Sven Väth. He kept a blog in 1998–99 called "Abfall für alle" ("rubbish for everybody"), which was later published as a book. Goetz has won numerous literary awards.