Bohumil Hrabal was a Czech writer known for his vivid, humorous, and often deeply human portrayals of ordinary life under shifting political eras. His works, such as Closely Watched Trains and I Served the King of England, blend melancholy, absurdity, and lyricism in a uniquely recognizable voice.

Study: Vyšehrad

Vyšehrad is a historic fortified hill in Prague overlooking the Vltava River, traditionally considered one of the oldest seats of Czech rulers. Today it is a peaceful park filled with ancient walls, legends, and the cemetery where many of the nation’s most important cultural figures are buried.

Olšany Cemetery is the largest burial ground in Prague, established in the late 17th century during a plague outbreak. It is now a vast, atmospheric necropolis filled with historic graves, ornate monuments, and the resting places of many notable Czech figures.

This is where my Czech family is buried.

Café Arco was owned by my dad’s family in the 30s, before the Nazi occupation. Arco is a famed early-20th-century Prague coffeehouse where German-Jewish and Czech writers gathered, including figures like Max Brod and Franz Kafka. Once a vibrant intellectual hub, it declined after 1938 and today survives only as a humble canteen in the building it once illuminated with ideas.

Karel Čapek was a Czech writer, playwright, and journalist best known for popularizing the word “robot” in his play R.U.R.. His works blend science fiction, humanism, and social insight, making him one of the most influential Central European authors of the 20th century.

Petr Válek is a Czech artist (born 1976) who lives in Loučná nad Desnou and combines painting, drawing, illustration — his early passions — with experimental sound art.

In recent years he’s become known for building mechanical and electro‑mechanical sound instruments and kinetic sculptures from found or recycled materials, using them to create unpredictable, playful and often haunting noise‑music performances.

Norman Stiles Chamberlain was an American painter known for his landscapes and depictions of Indigenous life in the American Southwest. He worked in both easel painting and New Deal mural projects, blending European artistic training with distinctly American subjects.

Norman S. Chamberlain is my mother’s ancestor.

Toyen (1902–1980) was a pioneering Czech avant-garde painter and illustrator associated with the Surrealist movement, known for her bold, dreamlike imagery and persona. Her work often explored eroticism, mystery, and subconscious worlds, making her one of the most influential figures in 20th-century European art.

Frank Zappa (1940–1993) was an American composer, guitarist, and bandleader renowned for his eclectic music blending rock, jazz, and avant-garde elements. Known for his satirical lyrics, complex compositions, and boundary-pushing performances, he remains an iconic and influential figure in 20th-century music.