Stubborn, dumb, wayord and horny–the features that are attributed to donkeys are not quite flattering. Yet still, almost no animal plays such a prominent role in cultural history. Jutta Person tells the astonishing story of this fascinatign beast of burden and undertakes a characterology of donkeys. She meets donkey breeders and portraits domesticated and wild jackass types. Last but not least she shows us how smart these allegedly dumb animals with pretty eyes are–and how much we can learn from them.
Jutta Person was born in 1971 and works as a journalist in Berlin. She studied German and Italian Literature and Philosoph in Cologne and Italy. She now writes for the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Literaturen, Die Zeit and the Philosophie Magazin.
By the same author(s)
"An intelligent portrait of gentle rebels. The author has achieved a remarkable feat. She delves deeply into literature, art and philosophy without ever losing sight of her subject: the donkey as a living creature." –
Günther Wessel, Deutschlandradio Kultur
