Lilienrupfer

next e-mail to arrive.
     
    Even though my friend and I live in another country, both of us are married and probably have a very different life style than yours, we both identified with your story immediately. Which woman does not know those feelings? Which woman has never lived tales like the ones you described? I am sure we all have. Additionally, we liked your humour, your spirit, your sharp mind and your ability to express feelings the way they are, without using constant irony. When you were sad, you WERE sad; you treated happiness in the same manner. I find it comfortably honest that you did not continuously make fun of your own feelings.
    One more thing: We crossed our fingers for you and your »Lily Picker«– just like you, we wanted the happy end. The conclusion of the story was terrible for us, too, and we suffered immensely with you.
     
    Back to novel series which was my own keyword. I am not certain whether you are going to smile radiantly now, or if you are going to contact your lawyer furiously. Of course I am hoping for the first one.
    This is the deal: An old friend (we went to the samegrammar school and then on to Cambridge together) is a well known author in England, and if I get this right, he is also very popular in your country.
    His name is ____ ______. I assume you know him and believe you are aware that relationship stories are his preferred subject.
     
    For a long time I thought about whether I should do what I couldn’t get out of my head, but then I was so excited by your story, the e-mails, and this Robbie Williams component, that I finally did show your letters to ____ ______.
    To keep it short: what I am trying to tell you is that ____ ______ used your material to create a wonderful e-mail novel, which should also be published in Germany at the beginning of the New Year. It will be published in England next fall entitled ›Lily Picker‹. We adored your expression »lily picker« so much, we did not allow anything else replacing it. Therefore, it did not only remain – it became the title.
     
    Writing to you was the idea of both of us because of course we could not leave you out of the picture. You are the creator of this story. It’s obvious to us, and that’s why we want you to join us as the co-author. What do you think? Please give us a big smile and say YES!
    Of course you will be part of the advance and future sales. The publisher would like to contact you in the next few days – please send me your address and phone number so we can make this happen.
     
    The cat is out of the bag. I am hoping for a positive reaction from you, because
I think you were hurt quite a bit, and something good needs to result from this story, and
I desire nothing less than violating your rights, giving you a reason to goose-step to your lawyer.
    From Rochester,
    Sincerely,
    Rebecca Williams

Danke
    allen, die mir geholfen haben:
     
    Carola Reile, Thommie Bayer, Prof. Dr.   Klaus Schönbach, Nicolas-Louis Mühlfeld, Bernadette Heimann, Christa von Bernuth, Anja Heling, Elke Drozd Williams, Annika Krummacher, Edmund Gleede, Axel Hundsdörfer, Bernhard Hagemann, Karoline Adler, Bianca Dombrowa, Michaela Grebner, Marco Momberger, Daniela Hochheim und meine Eltern.
    Mein ganz besonderer Dank geht an R.   W., ohne den dieses Buch nicht entstanden wäre.
     
    Marie Velden
    München, 9.   Juni 2009

Quellenvermerk
    Die Autorin und der Verlag danken dem Diogenes Verlag, Zürich, für die Abdruckgenehmigung für folgende Textstellen:
     
    Seite 8:
    »Sie zog ihn mit aller Kraft   …«
    William Somerset Maugham, Mrs Craddock
    Aus dem Englischen von Elisabeth Schnack
    © 1975 für die deutsche Übersetzung:
    Diogenes Verlag AG, Zürich
     
    Seite 140:
    »Nichts in der Welt hat Bestand   …« und
    Seite 211:
    »Wir können niemals zweimal in denselben Fluß steigen   …«
    William Somerset Maugham, Auf Messers Schneide Aus dem Englischen von Fritz Bondy
    © 1973 für die deutsche Übersetzung:
    Diogenes Verlag AG, Zürich

Informationen zum Buch
    »Lieber Robbie Williams   …«, schreibt Undine, und es kommt ihr ganz natürlich vor. Seit geraumer Zeit führt sie ein E-Mail -Tagebuch, das sie dem Superstar über eine ausgedachte Mailadresse anvertraut. Sie erzählt darin von ihrer Arbeit an einem kleinen Theater, von den Menschen, die ihr nahe stehen, und von Christian, ihrer großen Liebe. Mit Mitte dreißig glaubt Undine, in ihm jenen besonderen Einen gefunden zu haben. Doch sie täuscht