They are square (ten by ten centimeters) and made from a brass plate fused with a concrete block underneath. They have been all over Europe since 1997. Usually, they are engraved with the name and birthdate of a person. And with a date that tells passers-by about their fate. They are not random persons; their […]
Across the Fence
Author Susanne Bacon Sends Military Spouse Sleuth to France
Have you met Emma Wilde, née Schwarz already? Emma is a German journalist who works for a small daily paper in a fictional suburb of the Southern German city of Stuttgart. Though she is supposed to work on cultural and social topics only, she happens to stumble across incidents that involve criminal activity. Emma’s curiosity […]
Across the Fence: Weltpolitik
What a term! Weltpolitik … I have to be honest – until this day, as I’m writing this article, I have only known this word in its modern usage, not in its original one. I didn’t even know that it was another Germanism in the English language. I was taught history in school from grade […]
Did You Have a Clue?
Ten signed copies of the Wycliff novel “Haunted Homes” hidden in ten different places all over Steilacoom – a Halloween Book Hunt was on from October 27 through Halloween. I had given you ten clues as to where they might be found, and some of you might have wondered. So, here is the solution: 1. […]
In the Book Nook with … Blye Donovan
Author Blye Donovan is a full-time writer and lives in coastal South Carolina with her husband and their dog. She has been writing since she was a child, but didn’t pursue it as a career until the pandemic shut the world down. She started writing children’s books thinking that would be easier—it was not! Then […]
Halloween Book Hunt in Steilacoom
There are a lot of things to do in Steilacoom any time of the year. Halloween is probably one of the busiest times for those who love to be active, and this activity here will be for bookworms and/or friends of bookworms (think gifts …) – because the reward is one of 10 signed copies […]
Across the Fence: Leberwurst and Braunschweiger
It was a staple at my home, and as a child, I simply hated it – leberwurst (prounounce ‘labor-woorst) or, as you might also know it, liverwurst. I didn’t care for the flavor, for the texture, nor – and that was probably the biggest problem, the smell, and the grayish color. It didn’t help that […]
Across the Fence: Plattenbau
There are words with which a German immediately has specific associations. The German term “Plattenbau” (pronounce ‘pluttn-bow, meaning panel building) is one such word; I just hadn’t known that it made it into the English language. Plattenbau, often combined with the term “Siedlung” (pronounce ‘zea-dloong, meaning settlement), is the description of what is often considered […]
Across the Fence: Volkswagen and Fahrvergnügen
You probably have watched one or the other car advertisement on television, willy-nilly. Such as this one: Therefore, you might be familiar with the two American-English Germanisms, Volkswagen (pronounce ‘fawlx-vu-gn, meaning people’s car) and its slogan “Fahrvergnügen” (pronounce far—vah-gnoo-gn, meaning joy of driving). Did you know that Germans abbreviate Volkswagen as VW (pronounce fow-vay)? And […]