WENN ICH MEINE letzten Stücke betrachte und vergleiche,” Brecht wrote in 1941, “so finde ich sie enorm uneinheitlich in jeder Weise. Selbst die Genres wechseln unaufhörlich. Biographie, Gestarium, Parabel, Charakterlustspiel im Volkston, Historienfarce, die Stücke streben auseinander wie die Gestirne im neuen Weltbild der Physik, als sei auch hier irgendein Kern der Dramatik explodiert. Dabei ist die Theorie, die ihnen unterliegt oder abgezogen werden kann, ihrerseits sehr bestimmt gegenüber den anderen Theorien” (GBA, 26:477). There is much truth to this picture, but the theoretical writings are also “enorm uneinheitlich” and, here too, “die Genres wechseln unaufhörlich.” Apart from conventional essay and article formats, one finds a skilfull exploitation of reviews, open letters, responses (both real and spoof) to journalistic questionnaires, new genres such as “Funkgespräch” and radio essay, self-interviews, and program notes, as well as detailed rehearsal diaries and “Materialien” on specific plays. Above all, there was what Brecht thought of as his “Hauptwerk” (GBA, 29:471): the extensive Versuche series of volumes containing a mixture of extracts from plays, accompanying musical scores, performance photographs, poems, and theoretical writings. This variegated output spans more than three decades of Brecht's creative life. Although Scandinavian and US exile restricted the range of available outlets, Brecht remained adept at placing flag-ship pieces in opinion-forming publications. In the Weimar years it might seem as if Brecht had merely used channels of communication open to any author in a modern, technologically advanced society.