A conversation with a doctor during an acupuncture treatment reveals more than the patient wishes to hear; the chronicle that is told in Stechmücke puts certain accepted art-historical facts into question.
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Although largely autobiographical, this narrative is told in the 3rd person; Tanya Ury adopts the name of Hermè (her & me), thereby objectifying a personal history and lending it the flavour of the antique. Hermè's fables are earnest, thought-provoking but sometimes also, playful. In her written works, the author blurs the line between autobiographical and fictional reality. The question of her identity however, is always central.

"Speaking in German Hermè politely enquired after his accent. Hannes gently took her hand (his was warm and dry), told her to lie still and that yes, he had been German, but that that had all been a long time ago. He and his family had lived in many places since, before finally moving to Totnes. He related how his grandson had been seriously ill, that he and his wife had tended the child and still looked after him. Before that, Detta had been in films; she had designed the costumes for "Anne of a Thousand Days". This he recounted with a hint of pride. They had also been in America. Over a period of years, Detta had frequently visited a Hopi Indian reservation and had been permitted to observe the secret customs of the people. But in the end it was the English countryside that claimed them. The pretty village of Totnes that lay in the gentle, rolling, South Western landscape, seemed to attract alternative healers, like a buddleia shrub draws butterflies to it."

Extract from Stick Insect
Tanya Ury