But there is nevertheless a positive side to Josef’s receptive nature. He maintains a poignant openness to the world around him. The sense of connectivity, of oneness with the world that he experiences at his radio terminal can be seen as well in his deep identification with New York City. Living in New York, Josef doesn’t need to assert himself; the city itself has personality enough for him. Josef’s model for himself—and others’ for him—might be Thoreau in his cabin on Walden pond, but another, more suitable comparison might be Ishmael from Moby Dick, perched on the masthead aboard the Pequod and so entranced, so at one with his surroundings that he is unable to perform his watch duties. Josef is not a heroic character, but his openness to the world makes him a sympathetic one—and in the end, his receptivity gives him a chance at redemption.

—Marshall Yarbrough

About the Author

ULLA LENZE was born in Germany in 1973. She studied music and philosophy at the University of Cologne. In 2020, she was awarded the Lower Rhine Literature Prize for The Radio Operator. She currently resides in Berlin. The Radio Operator is her first novel available in English.

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