AMAYZINE QUESTIONNAIRE

Katja Schuurman

Katja Schuurman compiled ‘Forbidden Fruits’ for the Book Week, an anthology of erotic and pornographic poetry, ranging from lyrical to crude and sometimes really sexy. “You read a novel faster because poetry is a bit of a complicated puzzle that you didn't understand at school. But the written word is so beautiful; it provides perspective and the collection is diverse. You can also see my open view on sexuality reflected in it. It’s something natural and it belongs to life. A good sexual encounter brings you closer together and you can really benefit from that. A poem can provide that.”

‘Forbidden Fruits’, tell us everything…

“It’s an anthology of erotic poetry, from extremely sexy to pornographic. I find it hard to choose the best one, but I would say the poem by Carlos Drummond de Andrade. He was a famous Brazilian poet. When he was well over eighty, he wrote the poems and they were published posthumously. There are secretly many writers who wrote sexy, naughty stories on the side. You really should see the documentary by Heddy Honigmann: ‘O amor natural’. It starts with: ‘Love, because this is the one word’. In it, you see old people reciting erotic poems without shame.”
Now that we were catching up with Katja, the Amayzine Questionnaire naturally came up as well. Katja answered everything you don’t necessarily need, but that makes life more fun.

Your nickname?

“Babs, Takkietakkie and of course just Kat.”

First job?

“I used to be in a show ballet and we would go to those fairs, where you got a few tens for it. And I worked in a pizzeria, but I wasn’t made for that. My boss thought so too, haha.”

”I worked in a pizzeria, but I wasn’t made for that. My boss thought so too, haha.”

Your favourite among shops?

“I go grocery shopping at Landmarkt. And I’m pretty much a walking billboard for Scotch & Soda. Even when I want to buy something nice in Venice Beach or Berlin, everything I see or grab is also from Scotch.”

What do you eat when calories are not a factor?

“Basically the same, but more. I used to have eating problems; bulimia misery. A diet just made me fatter because you’re so focused on it. Everything is allowed, but in moderation. I avoid carbohydrates because then you can have more of the really delicious stuff. So if calories don’t matter, I eat more ice cream (I love soft serve), more chocolate, and more fries with mayonnaise.”

Never have I ever...

“I’m currently making the program ‘Really Not Okay’ with Jan Kooijman and Streetlab. Through those programs, I’ve done so much. But I’ve never killed anyone or stolen anything big.”

Who would you like to have coffee with?

“With Wislawa Szymborska. I always wanted to send her a bouquet of flowers to thank her for her beautiful poems. I’ve enjoyed them so much. She has passed away and I think it’s silly that I didn’t do it.”

Favorite movie-book-series-music of all time?

“For reading, the canon of poetry by Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer. Music depends on how you feel, but I would choose Chavela Vargas. She sings as if she’s crying.”

With whom would you like to swap for a day?

“Then I would choose something I can’t do, maybe with an athlete or mountain climber. Or no, I have a fear of heights. But I would like to swap with Max Verstappen or with a cool singer who can really sing incredibly well and then go on stage.”