Culture
The World in Words
August 09, 2017
Who was Frank Zappa? Virtuoso guitarist? Modernist composer? Smutty lyricist? Anti-censorship activist? All of the above ... and much more in the former East Germany. There, his banned records fetched small fortunes among rebellious young men who dreamed of freedom. This episode of The World in Words podcast spends 30 minutes in the company of one such man who now runs a Zappa-themed festival. We also hear from an American translator who explains Zappa's obscure lyrics to German fans, line by line.
Arts, Culture & Media
Germans on Twitter say 'ja!' to Nein Quarterly
The World
November 07, 2013
A University of Pennsylvania professor tweeting as “Nein Quarterly" has attracted more than 40,000 followers with his wry observations on everything from US politics to the sexiness of the German umlaut.
Culture
Martin Luther didn't just reform the church, he reformed the German language
The World in Words
April 02, 2015
Martin Luther is best known as the instigator of the Protestant Reformation, but his Bible translations used a form of conversational language that Germans had never before seen in print. It marked the beginning of modern German, which had never before been a unified language.
Culture
In the former East Germany, Frank Zappa lives on as a beacon of freedom
The World in Words
August 09, 2017
Who was Frank Zappa? Virtuoso guitarist? Modernist composer? Smutty lyricist? Anti-censorship activist? All of the above ... and much more in the former East Germany. There, his banned records fetched small fortunes among rebellious young men who dreamed of freedom. This episode of The World in Words podcast spends 30 minutes in the company of one such man who now runs a Zappa-themed festival. We also hear from an American translator who explains Zappa's obscure lyrics to German fans, line by line.
Global Politics
One simple word defines Germans, but Germans don't agree on what it means
The World in Words
September 18, 2017
Ask Germans to define the word "Volk" and you may get a bunch of different answers, each suggesting different attitudes to German identity and immigration.
Arts, Culture & Media
Postmarked from Beyond
Studio 360
April 02, 2005
Arts, Culture & Media
Werther
Studio 360
October 09, 2004