Lynne Thompson on the Role of Poetry in Democracies

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

#Society #Democracy #Germany #Lareviewofbooks #Politics #Thomasmann #Thomas Mann House #Books #Arts

51:57

On the Season 2 debut of Lost Cultures: Living Legacies , we travel to Bermuda, an Atlantic island whose history spans centuries and continents. Once uninhabited, Bermuda became a vital stop in transatlantic trade, a maritime stronghold, and a cultural crossroads shaped by African, European, Caribbean, and Native American influences. Guests Dr. Kristy Warren and Dr. Edward Harris trace its transformation from an uninhabited island to a strategic outpost shaped by shipwrecks, colonization, the transatlantic slave trade, and the rise and fall of empires. Plus, former Director of Tourism Gary Phillips shares the story of the Gombey tradition, a vibrant performance art rooted in resistance, migration, and cultural fusion. Together, they reveal how Bermuda’s layered past continues to shape its people, culture, and identity today. You can also find us online at ⁠travelandleisure.com/lostcultures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

2 years ago 26:58

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“There is an understanding that between humans we have this one thing called language and it brings us - or can bring us - together.” Writer and poet Lynne Thompson talks with hosts Aida Baghernejad and Tom Zoellner about her journey to becoming a poet, the role of “truth“ in poetry and its meaning for democracy. Lynne Thompson is the 2021-2022 Poet Laureate for the City of Los Angeles, and her poetry collections include Beg No Pardon (2007), Start With A Small Guitar (2013), and Fretwork (2019). Her work has appeared in Ploughshares, Poetry, Poem-A-Day (Academy of American Poets), New England Review, Colorado Review, Best American Poetry, to name a few.

59 episodes

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

Lynne Thompson on the Role of Poetry in Democracies

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

published 2 years ago

MP3•Episode home

59 episodes

#Society #Democracy #Germany #Lareviewofbooks #Politics #Thomasmann #Thomas Mann House #Books #Arts

All episodes

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Patty Jenkins on the Power of Storytelling 37:50

36 weeks ago37:50

37:50

Award-winning director, screenwriter, and producer Patty Jenkins joined Aida and Tom at the Thomas Mann House for this special episode. Jenkins is best known for the films Wonder Woman (2017), Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), and her Oscar-winning debut Monster (2003). Wonder Woman smashed box office records and became the highest-grossing live-action film directed by a woman at the time. During their insightful conversation at the Thomas Mann House, the three talked about the universal power of storytelling, superheroes, and the future of film in a changing media environment.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Clint Smith on Cultures of Remembrance in the U.S. & Germany 1:02:12

1 year ago1:02:12

1:02:12

“Physically putting your body in a place where history happened gives you a different sense of intimacy, a different sense of proximity to that history.” In the final episode of our podcast, author, poet, and scholar Clint Smith speaks about the importance of collectively reckoning with history, the legacy of slavery in U.S.-American identity, and cultures of remembrance in the U.S. and Germany. He is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America , and the best-selling poetry collection Above Ground, as well as the award-winning poetry collection Counting Descent . Smith is a staff writer at The Atlantic .…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Marina Weisband on What Gets us Through the Crisis 56:11

2 years ago56:11

56:11

“Going through a crisis and having a positive vision of the future are not the same thing. You need to have a positive vision of the future to get through the crisis.” Our hosts, Aida Baghernejad and Tom Zoellner, interview politician and publicist Marina Weisband for this special episode, recorded live at the international literatur festival berlin. After an introduction by political scientist and Thomas Mann Fellow Christine Landfried, they discuss the digital revolution and the ongoing war in Ukraine, among other things. Marina Weisband is a politician, psychologist, and participation educator. Together with Frido Mann, she is the co-author of the book Was uns durch die Krise trägt. Ein Generationengespräch (2023) .…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Lynne Thompson on the Role of Poetry in Democracies 26:58

2 years ago26:58

26:58

“There is an understanding that between humans we have this one thing called language and it brings us - or can bring us - together.” Writer and poet Lynne Thompson talks with hosts Aida Baghernejad and Tom Zoellner about her journey to becoming a poet, the role of “truth“ in poetry and its meaning for democracy. Lynne Thompson is the 2021-2022 Poet Laureate for the City of Los Angeles, and her poetry collections include Beg No Pardon (2007), Start With A Small Guitar (2013), and Fretwork (2019). Her work has appeared in Ploughshares, Poetry, Poem-A-Day (Academy of American Poets), New England Review, Colorado Review, Best American Poetry, to name a few.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Bill Wiggins on African-American History & Historically Black Colleges and Universities 32:08

2 years ago32:08

32:08

Host Tom Zoellner sat down with professor William Wiggins to discuss the ongoing importance of African-American history within the larger context of US history. Professor Wiggins has written on numerous subjects dealing with revolutionary figures and movements in U.S. history. He has taught at the University of Connecticut, St. Olaf and Allegheny Colleges, Hampton University and Columbia University, where he also served as an Assistant Dean.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Teresa Bücker on Time as a Political Resource 31:21

2 years ago31:21

31:21

“Time is a political resource. How time is distributed is a question of structures we find within a society. It’s structured by the economic system we have; it’s structured by gender, by race,” states journalist and author Teresa Bücker. In this conversation, Bücker describes her vision for a feminist and just approach to time. Her book on the topic, "Alle_Zeit. Eine Frage von Macht und Freiheit" was published in German in 2022. Bücker has been a regular contributor to Süddeutsche Zeitung, and is a sought after voice in conversations on politics, gender, and social change in Germany.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Roberto Lovato on the Tenderness that Survives the Terror 38:10

2 years ago38:10

38:10

“I’ve been through war. I’ve witnessed the workings of genocide. I have gone to mass graves across the entire continent (…) We have to un-forget to get past the present fear.” In this episode, writer and journalist Roberto Lovato speaks about overcoming personal and collective trauma. Lovato's work has been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, Foreign Policy, Der Spiegel, and other national and international media outlets. In 2020, he published his first book, Unforgetting: A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs and Revolutions in the Americas . Lovato is a Visiting Assistant Professor of English at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and received a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Antonia Juhasz on the Impact of Fossil Fuels on Democracy 34:15

2 years ago34:15

34:15

“Part of what has led the movement against fossil fuels is the increased number of people being confronted with the effects of oil drilling and fracking,” argues energy analyst and investigative journalist Antonia Juhasz. The Senior Researcher in the Environment and Human Rights Division at Human Rights Watch talks about how our dependency on fossil fuels impacts the environment, politics, social justice and human rights worldwide. What can be done to bring about a just transition to renewable energy more quickly? Juhasz regularly writes for outlets such as The New York Times , The Guardian and National Geographic, and is the author of Black Tide: the Devastating Impact of the Gulf Oil Spill (2011), among others.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Raul Krauthausen on Inclusion and Accessibility 32:54

2 years ago32:54

32:54

“I realized that everything I learned in terms of communication, creativity, strategy and planning at university can also be used for good...for the rights of people with disabilities,” states Raul Krauthausen. The inclusion activist and podcaster compares inclusion and accessibility laws in the US and Germany, and explains how Germany's reckoning with its fascist past still affects institutional structures today. Raul Krauthausen is the founder of a series of initiatives focusing on diversity and inclusion, among them SOZIALHELD*INNEN (Social heroes), which advises individuals and businesses on considering people with disabilities as a target group for their products and services. He is also the host of several podcasts.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Sarah Jaffe on Working Conditions & Labor Movements 48:35

3 years ago48:35

48:35

“Until we start thinking about what people’s lives are really like and not just shame them for how they vote, we’re not going to have a healthy democracy,” argues Sarah Jaffe. The labor journalist talks about working people's disillusionment with politics, and why seemingly incoherent protest movements shouldn't be disregarded. Does today’s labor shortage give workers bargaining power? Sarah Jaffe's book Work Won't Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted and Alone was published in 2020 to wide acclaim.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Geraldo Cadava on the 2022 Midterm Elections & 'the Latino Vote' 42:20

3 years ago42:20

42:20

"One of the things that is so fascinating about last night‘s midterm elections is how young people really showed up,” states Geraldo Cadava, professor of history and Latina and Latino studies at Northwestern University. In this episode, he gives his fresh take on the 2022 midterm elections and discusses the diversity of the Latino community in the U.S. along with the influence religion, race, and identity have on Latino voters. Geraldo Cadava is the author of The Hispanic Republican: The Shaping of an American Political Identity, from Nixon to Trump (2020), and Standing on Common Ground (2013).…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Boris Dralyuk on Poetry, Translation and Émigrés 32:06

3 years ago32:06

32:06

While politics can involve seemingly abstract decisions, “literature can remind us of the stakes at human level,” argues Boris Dralyuk. In this episode, the translator, author and editor-in-chief of Los Angeles Review of Books talks about translators giving voice to the voiceless, and the raison d’etre of literary criticism in today's fragmented cultural landscape. Boris Dralyuk’s debut poetry collection My Hollywood and Other Poems came out in April 2022 on Paul Dry Books.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
LaTosha Brown on Fighting Voter Suppression 46:51

3 years ago46:51

46:51

“Some of the tension and voter suppression we are experiencing right now is not a result of us losing, it is a result of us winning,” states LaTosha Brown, community organizer and co-founder of Black Voters Matter. In this episode, she talks about the specific mechanics that suppress Black votes, the importance of activating Black voters, particularly in rural areas, and the power marginalized groups and young voters hold to change democracies. LaTosha Brown and Black Voters Matter have been credited for significant voter registration efforts in several elections, among them the 2020-21 U.S. Senate election in Georgia.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Doris Kleilein on Changing Definitions of Urban Architecture 35:51

3 years ago35:51

35:51

What makes a city a home for people with different backgrounds? How has the pandemic impacted city planning and urban architecture? In this episode, the 2022 Thomas Mann Fellow, architect and author Doris Kleilein looks at the benefits of L.A.’s ‘laissez-faire urbanism’ compared to more regulated approaches in Europe. She argues that “the built visibility of a culture or minority is key to becoming part of society.” Kleilein’s research focuses on how city planning can propose new forms of living together in a changing heterogenous societies. Kleilein heads the architectural book publishing house JOVIS in Berlin, and co-edited the book “Post-Pandemic Urbanism” in 2021.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Christoph Bieber on Hate Speech, Deep Fakes and Other Challenges of the Internet 27:52

3 years ago27:52

27:52

What can be done against online hate speech and deep fakes? Host Tom Zoellner talks to the political scientist & 2022 Thomas Mann Fellow Dr. Christoph Bieber about internet regulation in Europe and the U.S. Is there reason to be optimistic when it comes to our digital present and future? Bieber is professor of Political Science at the Center for Advanced Internet Studies in Bochum, Germany, where he among other things researches the effect of online communication on political actors.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Veronika Fuechtner on Thomas Mann's construction of "Germanness" 26:25

3 years ago26:25

26:25

The Brazilian origins of his mother Júlia were initially a source of shame for Thomas Mann, but that changed in the 1920s “as his understanding of his role in society and democracy changed,” claims Dr. Veronika Fuechtner. The Professor of German Studies at Dartmouth talks about the role of racial and sexual ambiguity in Mann’s writing and why he emigrated to the U.S. rather than to Brazil. Fuechtner has co-authored A Global History of Sexual Science 1880-1960 (2017) and is currently completing a monograph on Júlia Mann and Thomas Mann's construction of race and “Germanness.”…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Ulrich J. Schneider on Libraries as Democratic Spaces 34:34

3 years ago34:34

34:34

“Today, when politicians think you can close down libraries because everything is available online, you have to remind them that libraries are not only for books; they are for people,” says Thomas Mann Fellow and former director of the Leipzig University Library, Ulrich J. Schneider. In his research, he examines the importance of public libraries in different social contexts. In this episode, Schneider explains how public libraries came to be places where people, regardless of their social status, can access knowledge and leave as changed persons.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Rosecrans Baldwin on Los Angeles as a City-State 36:57

3 years ago36:57

36:57

This episode focuses on what novelist and writer Rosecrans Baldwin calls "the city state Los Angeles.” In his recent best-selling book Everything Now: Lessons From the City-State of Los Angeles , the award-winning author shares his thoughts on one of the United States’ most confounding metropolises – "not just a great city, but a full-blown modern city-state.” Together with our hosts, Baldwin addresses issues such as the housing crisis, city planning and what can be learned from comparing L.A.’s infrastructure to another highly fascinating metropolis: Berlin. Baldwin is the winner of the 2022 California Book Award.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Christine Landfried on the Democratic Potential of Citizens' Assemblies 33:28

3 years ago33:28

33:28

When it comes to politics, “distrust is a very healthy thing,” says Dr. Christine Landfried. But Dr. Landfried warns that a complete loss of trust in democratic processes lead people to disconnect from politics entirely. In this episode, the professor of political science talks about how citizens’ assemblies, a new form of participation, strengthen democracy and rebuild trust in its institutions. Landfried has observed citizens’ assemblies and prominently reported about them in a variety of German-speaking media outlets. Christine Landfried is currently a Thomas Mann House fellow in Los Angeles.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Matthew Continetti on Populism and Conservatism in the American Right 42:25

3 years ago42:25

42:25

In this episode, author and intellectual historian of the right, Matthew Continetti talks about the past and current strains of American Conservatism. Continetti notes that the territory on which politics is conducted has moved from the size and scope of the State to arguments over the "nature of America“ itself. His most recent book "The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism" was published in 2022. Mr. Continetti is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Diana Garvin on the Political Implications of Food 34:04

3 years ago34:04

34:04

The fascist regime in Italy attempted early on to create a culinary nationalism by “re-writing ‘la cucina povera’ (the cooking of the poor) as national greatness” and to evoke a sense of pride in local produce that would ultimately support the fascist economy, argues historian Diana Garvin. Garvin is Assistant Professor of Italian at the University of Oregon, and has done extensive research on the role of food and coffee in fascism. In this episode, she talks about how food remains central to nation building to this day. Garvin is the author of Feeding Fascism: The Politics of Women’s Food Work .…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Craig Calhoun on Nationalism & Protest Movements 38:15

3 years ago38:15

38:15

Can we reframe the concept of nationalism to use it as a resource for change? Social scientist Craig Calhoun argues for a more complex understanding of nationalism. With our hosts, Calhoun also talks about the importance of social movements: they are central to give citizens a voice, which is crucial for a functioning democracy. Craig Calhoun is Professor of Social Sciences at Arizona State University and the author of many books, most recently, Degenerations of Democracy , co-authored with Dilip Parameshwar Gaonka and Charles Taylor.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Ruben Neugebauer on Sea Rescue and the Crisis on the Mediterranean Sea 43:18

3 years ago43:18

43:18

Civil sea rescue by organizations such as Sea-Watch saves lives, but the fundamental problem that Europe is sealed off to many who seek refuge remains, argues Ruben Neugebauer. Neugebauer is a co-founder of Sea-Watch, a non-profit organization committed to doing search and rescue missions on the Mediterranean Sea as well as advocating safe passage for refugees. In this episode, he talks with Aida Baghernejad about ways to reform European migration policies and how the situation on the Mediterranean Sea is affected by economic circumstances. Neugebauer is a photojournalist, geochemist and activist.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Lawrence Douglas on Fixing the Electoral System 47:16

3 years ago47:16

47:16

How can we restore trust in democratic elections and what are the problems electoral systems are facing today? With his book Will He Go? Trump and the Looming Electoral Meltdown in 2020, Lawrence Douglas predicted with shocking clarity how Trump planned to overturn the 2020 presidential election. He talks with Aida Baghernejad about ways to strengthen the electoral system and restore trust in transparent and reliable elections. Lawrence Douglas is professor of law, jurisprudence and social thought at Amherst College. Professor Douglas is currently Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Mohamed Amjahid on the Protection of Minorities 34:13

3 years ago34:13

34:13

What is negotiable in our societies? Mohamed Amjahid talks with host Aida Baghernejad about the dangers of majority rule and why, for him, protecting minorities is at the core of democracy. Amjahid is a political journalist, author and presenter. He was an editor at ZEITmagazin and was awarded the Alexander Rhomberg Prize and the Henri Nannen Prize, among others. Amjahid received wide attention for his bestsellers Unter Weißen and Der Weisse Fleck . Amjahid is a 2022 Fellow at the Thomas Mann House in Los Angeles.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Aurora Almendral on the Political Situation in the Philippines 34:17

3 years ago34:17

34:17

In this episode, Tom Zoellner and fellow journalist Aurora Almendral analyze the political situation in the Philippines: How does President Rodrigo Duterte, who many criticize for his autocratic governance, endanger democratic structures in the country? How does this affect the vibrant press and journalism culture, which is under attack by Duterte? Almendral is a Philippine-born award-winning journalist who writes for The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, and National Geographic Magazine. She covers topics such as global supply chains, women in global migration, climate economy, and politics in the Philippines.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
David Kipen on the Renewal of the Federal Writers' Project 34:13

3 years ago34:13

34:13

In 1935, the Federal Writers' Project was launched by President Roosevelt to create jobs for out-of-work writers during the Great Depression and to provide a vivid literary climate in the U.S. David Kipen, an L.A.-based author, critic, broadcaster, UCLA Writing Faculty member and the founder of the nonprofit bilingual lending library Libros Schmibros in Boyle Heights, is a driving force behind the renewal of the initiative. In this episode, he talks about how a project like this can help trigger more curiosity and tolerance within a society. Kipen is the author of several books, among his recent the anthology Dear Los Angeles: The City in Diaries and Letters. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Birte Meier on Equal Pay 24:44

3 years ago24:44

24:44

What can Germany learn from California in terms of Equal Pay? Award-winning journalist Birte Meier explored this question during her Fellowship at the Thomas Mann House in Los Angeles. In this episode of 55 Voices for Democracy, she talks about how California's Equal Pay Act effectively protects against discrimination by, for example, allowing workers to speak openly about their salaries. Meier has worked as a ZDF editor, doing investigative business stories and in-depth political reports since 2007.…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Sonia Faleiro on Political Oppression in India 35:48

3 years ago35:48

35:48

In this episode, award-winning journalist Sonia Faleiro talks about dangerous developments in Indian democracy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The repression of the Muslim minority and restrictions on the democratic public sphere have taken on dramatic proportions, she says. Faleiro believes that only a democracy movement on the scale of India's freedom struggle can bring real change. Sonia Faleiro grew up in India and lives in London. Her most recent book The Good Girls (Penguin, 2021), has been called "a riveting, sometimes astonishing work of forensic journalism" by the Wall Street Journal .…

55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

1
Daniel Ziblatt on Resilient Democracies | A Collaboration with the German American Conference at Harvard 44:46

3 years ago44:46