Dec 2, 2021
How did Thomas Mann use the then still young medium of radio in
his fight against fascism? How did he channel repressed energies
into political activism? Literary scholar Tobias Boes, author of
the book Thomas Mann’s War: Literature, Politics, and the
World Republic of Letters (Cornell University Press,
2019), discusses Thomas Mann’s role as a political figure in the
United States and how he addressed political issues through the
eyes of a novelist. In his book, Boes traces how the acclaimed
and bestselling author became one of America’s most prominent
anti-fascists. In this episode, we learn more about Mann’s
speeches, how he used radio as a political medium and what we can
learn from Thomas Mann’s political engagement today. Tobias
Boes is a Professor and department chair in German and Russian
Languages and Literature at the University of Notre Dame.