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Books: Conversation with Alex Tamayo-Wolf ’94

Author pens fiction as a tribute to his maternal grandfather who aided Jews in Nazi Germany.

Books: Conversation with Alex Tamayo-Wolf ’94

Alex Tamayo-Wolf, ‘94 is donating 20 percent of the profits from the novel toward a community recreation center at Redmond’s Washington Cathedral and Project Transformation.

Books: Conversation with Alex Tamayo-Wolf ’94

Author pens fiction as a tribute to his maternal grandfather who aided Jews in Nazi Germany.

Alex Tamayo-Wolf, ‘94, wrote Revolution as a tribute to his maternal grandfather Georg Wolf, who served as police chief in Zirndorf, Germany during Nazi tyranny and helped many Jewish families escape the Holocaust. While the novel is set in an earlier era prior to World War I, it shows how redemption and human grace are attainable in difficult times. Now living outside of Seattle, Tamayo-Wolf is donating 20 percent of the profits from the novel toward a community recreation center at Redmond’s Washington Cathedral and Project Transformation.

Where were you born?
I was born in Louisiana in 1967 to George Tamayo, a native Texan of Mexican descent, and Ingeborg Wolf, a German immigrant.

What do you remember about your family in Germany?
Growing up, I only knew my family in Germany through stories my mother had told me. My grandfather was the chief of police in a town in Germany during Nazi rule, which included the duty of enforcing Nazi rule, particularly concerning the ‘relocation’ of the Jews. This was something difficult and shameful for me to live with. Growing up, I never advertised my shame. I silently reproached my grandfather and eventually made him a shadow. It was not until many years later that I uncovered the true story Georg Wolf while studying at seminary in Austria near to the town of my grandmother, Oma.

How did you discover the true story of your grandfather?
One night, gathered around the dinner table, Oma began to tell the story of my grandfather, “a great man.” With a hint of reproach in my voice, I asked what made him great. She responded with a simple remark that he was a hero to the Jewish people.

In what way was your a grandfather hero?
Georg Wolf had saved countless Jewish families by destroying their transfer papers that came across his desk for approval and signature, and thereby coordinating their escape from Nazi Germany. For his kindness in helping Jewish people escape from Nazi Germany, Georg Wolf received numerous gifts. One of which, was a hand-carved locomotive that Oma treasured dearly.

How did this change your perception of your grandfather?
My reproach for him suddenly disappeared, and instead, I found respect and a conviction to honor the Wolf name that I would some day answer with the story of Revolution. My aversion to my ancestry quickly transformed into passion when I began to research all I could into my family history and the period during my grandfather’s life.

Where did the inspiration for Revolution come from?
A story like my grandfather’s has already been told, and told well, so I did not write it. Revolution bears and honors the Wolf name. I found inspiration in the discovery of my grandfather’s story, a passion of German literature and historical research into Vienna and Austria, and created a novel that subtly honored my heritage and family.

In what ways does Revolution honor your grandfather?
While the story in Revolution does not physically tell the story of my grandfather or that of World War I at all, it displays the themes of suffering, grace and redemption that were very apparent in my grandfather’s life. I did not wish to write a “he did this, he did that, that is why he is great” story. That is somehow immodest and exploitive. The themes of suffering, grace and redemption have real value to human life; Revolution is about that.

What is the overall message of Revolution?
There is no premeditated message, only motifs, themes and personal confessions. To say I wrote a message into my story implies that I intend to teach. I don’t. However, that does not mean nothing can be learned from it, or that a message cannot be found. It is the reader’s choice to engage and make and interpretation, to receive a message or lesson from what is written.

Did the process of writing the novel involve research?
In 2002 and 2003, I visited Austria for research into the historical novel. Most days were spent at the Austrian National Library, the National Map Collection, the Instrument Museum and location scouting in areas of interest. During those vacations to Austria, I became an expert on the daily happenings of Austrian citizens during the years 1898-1910, the period in which Revolution is set, as well as the period in which my grandfather worked as the chief of police.

Can we expect any future pieces authored by you?
I am researching for a story tentatively titled The Genius of Love. At best, it will be one year before it is complete. It will be unlike anything before it.

The book is available at major booksellers including www.amazon.com.