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Murakami in December during a walk in the Aoyama district on the outskirts of Tokyo
Photo: Noriko Hayashi / DER SPIEGEL
SPIEGEL:
Mr. Murakami, how do you experience this strange period of seclusion?
Murakami:
As a novelist, you withdraw a lot anyway.
Actually, my everyday life has hardly changed during the corona crisis.
I live outside, so I can continue to run my daily lap without any particular restrictions.
I listen to a lot of music.
The biggest problem is not being able to travel abroad.
But my writing is progressing as usual.
To person
Icon: enlargePhoto: Noriko Hayashi / DER SPIEGEL
Haruki Murakami
,
72, grew up in Kobe as the son of two literature teachers.
Before he became a writer, he ran the Peter Cat jazz bar in Tokyo.
Murakami has been writing novels and short stories since 1979.
These include famous and globally successful titles such as “Naoko's smile” or “1Q84”;
In 2017 »The Murder of Commendatore« appeared.
Murakami is a long-distance runner - about this passion he published the book "What I am talking about when I am talking about running" in 2007.
SPIEGEL:
Your new book "First Person Singular" differs from your previous ones: They are short stories in which the same first-person narrator speaks and brings out memories from his life.
The emotions darken from story to story.
Did you want to try something new?
Murakami:
I am not aware of any particular change.
If there is, it's probably because I've gotten older.
Of course, I can't stay sixteen forever.
SPIEGEL:
The famous Beatles song "A Day in the Life" consists of a beginning by Lennon, a middle part by McCartney and a closing part by Lennon.
Neither of them managed to complete the whole piece - yet the fragments resulted in one of the most famous songs in pop music.
Could that be a similar description of the method used in your new book?
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