Language

June 19, 2020

Author, editor and literary critic John Freeman’s new volume of poetry, “The Park,” explores how the public Luxembourg Gardens can be a refuge and provide access to beauty for some while excluding others.

Media

Duterte’s ‘weaponization of the law’ is a threat to democracy, says journalist Maria Ressa

The World

June 18, 2020

Out on bail after facing charges of cyber libel, veteran Filipina journalist Maria Ressa tells The World's Marco Werman that working in journalism in the Philippines is "tougher than a war zone" and that this moment is "a battle for the truth."

Language

When ‘oh, fudge’ won’t do: Researchers find benefits to swearing

The World

June 15, 2020

Researchers at the Swear Lab at Keele University in the UK have found that swearing can actually increase a person’s pain tolerance.

COVID-19: The latest from The World

Fires, orchestras, parachutes. Some other ways to describe coronavirus — besides war.

The World

April 28, 2020

If you think the war metaphor is being overused, you’re not alone. But why is this kind of rhetoric such a go-to for world leaders? And should we consider other metaphors?

Language

The Netherlands to immigrants: Speak Dutch

The World

April 24, 2020

Large-scale migration from Morocco to the Netherlands started in the 1960s under a guest worker program. But when Dutch officials realized that families from Morocco and elsewhere weren’t returning to their homelands, they tried to get them to learn Dutch. When that only partially worked, attitudes hardened.

Books

From Mexico, tales of a Russian socialite and a small-town witch

The World

April 21, 2020

Two novels published in English this spring show the broad landscape of Mexican literature today.

COVID-19: The latest from The World

Mexico’s community radio network shares critical COVID-19 info in Indigenous languages

The World

April 21, 2020

Messages to stay at home and follow social distancing measures are seemingly everywhere in Mexico. But for those living in remote, rural communities with little or no internet access, getting those messages is not so easy.

Language

Damn coronavirus! How the Dutch use diseases as curse words.

The World

April 02, 2020

What to do with pent up anxiety? Some say profanities help relieve stress. But while English swear words and phrases are often linked to sex, in the Dutch language, many profanities and expletives are derived from disease.

Music

What Selena’s life and legacy tell us about Latinx identity today

The World

February 14, 2020

It’s been nearly 25 years since the death of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, but the legacy of the Grammy-winning, Mexican American singer persists — and offers guidance for a group of California college students studying Latinx identity and media representation.

Arts, Culture & Media

Transcript: Artist Christine Sun Kim on ‘deaf rage,’ the Super Bowl and the power of sound

The World

February 13, 2020

This is a transcript of The World's radio story on Artist Christine Sun Kim. Kim's first language is American Sign Language (ASL). She spoke to The World through ASL interpreters.

Language

This writer is grappling with the paradox of public parks in Paris

Duterte’s ‘weaponization of the law’ is a threat to democracy, says journalist Maria Ressa

When ‘oh, fudge’ won’t do: Researchers find benefits to swearing

Fires, orchestras, parachutes. Some other ways to describe coronavirus — besides war.

The Netherlands to immigrants: Speak Dutch

From Mexico, tales of a Russian socialite and a small-town witch

Mexico’s community radio network shares critical COVID-19 info in Indigenous languages

Damn coronavirus! How the Dutch use diseases as curse words.

What Selena’s life and legacy tell us about Latinx identity today

Transcript: Artist Christine Sun Kim on ‘deaf rage,’ the Super Bowl and the power of sound

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