Anna Beer inspecting the lives of eight exceptional women composers in Western classical music. It starts with Francesca Caccini (1587 – 1641) and ends with Elizabeth Maconchy (1907-1994). Beer’s narrative style is clear and vivid, it was nearly impossible to put down the book once I started to read it. Gender inequality reflected at best …
Ai Qing Selected Poems (EN)Translated by Robert DorsettAi Qing Schnee fällt aus Chinas Erde Gedichte (DE)Aus dem Chinesischen übertragen, kommentiert und mit einem Nachwort versehen von Susanne Hornfeck Ai Qing (1910- 1999)Ai Qing is a Chinese poet that I respect, but his writing style is not necessarily my favourite. There are still some of his …
From tomorrow on, I will be a happy man.Grooming, chopping and traveling all over the world.From tomorrow on, I will care foodstuff and vegetable.Living in a house towards the sea, with spring blossoms. From tomorrow on, write to each of my dear ones.Telling them of my happiness.What the lightening of happiness has told me.I will …
The most painful thing in life is to wake up from a dream and realized there is no way out. He who dreams is happy; if he does not see a way out, it is important not to wake him up.So I think that if we do not find a way out, what we want …
The 1st day of my self-employed, jobless, idleness, whatever, time will tell. A friend suggests that I should talk more about Chinese Classical Literature. But my books about Chinese Classical Literature is in my home in Malaysia, not here. I would like to have my books with me, I only can think about this once …
My spinet was feeling unwell today, as well as 3 persons that very close to me. I can not be with three of them, at least I can visit my bedridden neighbour. A song will be my prayer for tonight, it says: God, please spare us punishmentsAnd let us sleep peacefullyAnd our sick neighbour too …
Hilde Domin’s poem is on my lent calendar for Good Friday. I understood it like this: One still can draw a golden city in the sky with imagination even though been chased away from a doorless wall. The cherry blossoms already dressed up to celebrate Easter.
Today is the official farewell worship service. The independent day is 21.4.22. After that, I am off shore for new horizons. The card I received from the church says: “Departing to new shores!” (Auf zu neuen Ufern) Where exactly? I still do not have a concrete plan, I will first just keep doing my favourite …
Who has the most beautiful little sheep? Wer hat die schönsten Schäfchen? Do you know who?I did not know who until I read the poem written by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben (1798-1874). The answer is the moon. The moon has the most beautiful little sheep. The dark blue sky is his meadow, and the …
Christian Morgenstern (1871 – 1914) was telling us a story where ducks were skating on a frozen pond. He also asked us a question: “Where did the ducks got their ice skate? The ducks are not rich at all!” Do you have a clue? I guess little children are going to love the poem selection …