lenz georg bchners visionary exploration of an 18th century playwrights descent into madness grew in part out of alsatian pastor johann oberlins journal which is translated here in its entirety for the first time lenz is a dispassionate account on the nervous system of a schizophrenic perhaps the first thirdperson text ever written from the inside of insanity at his death at the age of 23 in 1837 georg bchner also left behind leonce and lena woyzeck and dantons deathpsychologically and politically acute plays well ahead of their timerichard sieburths translations include hlderlins hymns and fragments walter benjamins moscow diary grard de nervals selected writings and henri michauxs emergencesresurgences his english edition of the nerval writings won the 2000 pen bookofthemonthclub translation prize