Marianne Hauser
I called her Kasparella. She had written a Kaspar Hauser novel but it was the fact that her name was Hauser and a female Kaspar would be...
She loved it and whenever I called her and she answered the phone tentatively and I would just say "Kasparella"-she would come to life!
Again we had an instant recognition when we met. My former husband introduced us-she was the mother of a friend of his from college.
She was also the Bear. Marianne. Bear and Kasparella. Oh Marianne...
An amazing octogeniarian for most of our friendship. She was a writer still writing in to her nineties until she died last year in NYC. Her writing just got better and better. More precise and crystal clear. The last couple of novels "Me and my Mom" , "the Talking Room" and "Shootout with Father" are must-reads.
She was a sprite, had energy, and a sparkling intelligence. She was great to be around and then she would send you packing when the time was up. Very direct.
Practising tai chi into her late eighties. Her friends were loyal and loving.
We all loved Marianne!
NYC was synonymous with visiting Marianne. I would visit every time I was in the city. She lived so centrally. I would bring a nice soap. She liked washing her face with a nice soap. When I hugged her she would have the loveliest scent of a freshly washed face!
There were always fresh flowers in her flat, mostly from Michael her son, but also from her visiting friends. She had an old jade plant in a sunny window. I have a shoot which has grown into a huge pant in just a couple of years here in my window! It is called Kasparella.
Marianne. Kasparella. How I miss her!
Her life had been one long adventure. Travels, writing, knowing the interesting folks, living life to the full...She told some great stories and we laughed a lot.
She was very supportive of me in a difficult period of my life and it really made a huge difference.
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