Question [paraphrased]: “I read that the Genitive case is going extinct in German, but it seems alive and well in some Netflix series and your books. What gives?” That’s an excellent question! First of all, it’s definitely true that the Genitiv is generally fading out of fashion. However, it’s doing so in a very uneven way,… Continue reading
I’ve always been a big advocate for hosting your own websites, not relying on Big Tech companies exclusively to keep your stuff safe. It may feel as if your profile on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter is “your home” online, but we’re just tenants, at best. And most of the time, sure, it’s fine. But if something… Continue reading
“You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction (more…)
Not too long ago, before image macros and reaction videos roamed the planet, human beings created mix-tapes to express complicated feelings or share their favorite songs with family and friends. These custom compilations of songs were recorded on primitive storage media called “cassettes”, small plastic shells filled with two spools of magnetic thread constantly on the… Continue reading
Es gibt zu viele Bücher in dieser Welt, und manchmal geht man blind an den besten vorbei, ohne den blassesten Schimmer, was einem entgeht. Und bei all dem grellen Gewimmel der Bestsellerlisten und häufig enttäuschenden Neuerscheinungen ist es vielleicht sinnvoll, beizeiten innezuhalten, einen Blick zurück zu wagen und alte Klassiker für unsere Zeit neu zu entdecken. Joseph Roths… Continue reading
Wir befinden uns in einer Zeit, in der wir jeglicher Form von Wissen einen hohen Stellenwert beimessen — ob es sich dabei um sogenanntes “Grundwissen”, “Allgemeinwissen” oder “Fachwissen” handelt. Wir alle wissen (oder meinen zumindest zu wissen), dass man es ohne ein Mindestmaß dessen zu nichts bringe in dieser Welt. Vorschulkinder werden deshalb frühzeitig in… Continue reading
“Modern English is the Wal-Mart of languages: convenient, huge, hard to avoid, superficially friendly, and devouring all rivals in its eagerness to expand.”
Mark Abley
I still remember the time I first laid eyes on the paperback edition of one of my books which had previously only existed as a digital edition. It was as if this book had finally become “real”, transplanted from the evanescent stream of on-screen appearances to an irrevocable manifestation in my own hands. Somehow, now that it was taking up… Continue reading
I saw two cats today, sprawled out in the middle of the sidewalk, lazily pawing away at something. When I came closer I saw that they had gotten hold of a huge chameleon, unmoving now except for its jiggly neck. The cats themselves were barely larger than their pop-eyed reptilian prey, its scales strangely dull… Continue reading
As human beings, we live in a world of things. There are small ones, big ones, raggedy, round and shiny things all around us. Some of these things are made in factories, others are made by hand. Some are complex, others seemingly simple. Some are expensive, others are cheap. Some are revered, others just lie… Continue reading