New edition of “Idioms”: Where the dark tourists of the literary world go on vacation

Isn't it the same silent fate of every literary magazine that presents itself as a counter-foundation to end up in limbo or in the establishment? Who would still know what “Lichtwolf” was or “Delirium” or “Counterstrophe”? The inevitable “Writing Notebook” was launched, deep in the 1970s, as a city revue with an anti-attitude and as a collective. The “Idioms: Notebooks for New Prose” also retained a defensive orientation.

For 19 years people have been blocking themselves “against marketable novel writing” and “narrative clichés”. It was founded by the essayist and cultural journalist Florian Neuner. For a few years now, Neuner has been supported by Ralph Klever, the owner of the publishing house of the same name. In the current issue, Klever has put together a brief but moving dossier on the recently deceased master of short prose, Gerhard Ochs.

In Germany, Ochs was almost completely forgotten; he can be mentioned in the same breath as Lettau's master student Jan Peter Bremer: "The core of the earth is certainly beautiful. Walking around in this world is beautiful. The moment of levitation is beautiful. Every love nest anywhere is beautiful. Anyone who convinces you of the preservation of human dignity is beautiful," says an excerpt from an artful book entitled "DU. Records".

"Idioms. Booklets for new prose". Klever Verlag, Vienna 2026. 115 pages, 15 euros

No less impressive than the edited texts of the respective issues are the fast-paced “workshop conversations” with greats of emphatic linguistic art such as Elke Erb, Alexander Kluge, both of whom have since died, and Elisabeth Wandeler-Deck, the representative of a specifically Swiss style of essay writing; which also includes Li Mollet and Wolfram Malte Fues. With the latter, Florian Neuner led a lively discussion in issue 17 about the midcult theses of the literary scholar Moritz Baßler.

In the just published issue 19, Li Mollet is represented, who incites her cheeky, nihilistic speaker Mathilda on clichéd natural beauty and artifacts: “What are Robert Walser's love stories about?” “The memories you impose on this city,” says the text “30 Urban Rules” by Czech author-artist Rhea Krcmárová, “are smaller than you would like.” Almost every aphorism in her magical “grimoire” would make the perfect opening to a horror story.

In contrast, the immediately following “guide to literature” by Mariusz Lata seems like a nasty comic relief for Siebengescheite: “Don’t forget to cut the nails of your inner dead”. Even and especially such prose that obsessively reflects on the conditions of failing written communication, such as “Praise of the City” by Herbert J. Wimmer - there is also a funny dispute about him in the issue - or Jörg Burkhard's miniatures (“Novel Without Words”; “German Way Off Life”) would have been wished for an adequate introduction.

This year's editorial, unlike the forewords of previous editions, turns out to be a nonstarter: writers are accused of "gratuitousness (against the right)"; They “would probably accept funding from a right-wing government.” Instead of babbling about a “pre-war period” without any context, it would be time to rethink one or two cherished customs: simply stating the year and place of birth and the last publication of the “authors” may correspond to grassroots democratic ideals, but especially given the low level of awareness of the authors – almost all of them in the current edition – it seems like a failure to communicate literature.

“Idioms” remains the attraction for the dark tourists of the literary world and exudes that certain something. Unfortunately, distantly related magazines are no longer lame and morbid enough. The 20th anniversary would be the opportunity to finally properly introduce the solitaire from Vienna to Germany.