"Das Dorf hatte eine große Wirkung auf mich,

und ich wusste immer: wenn meine Mutter stirbt,

dann geh ich nie mehr dort hin."

"The village made a big impression on me. I always knew: when my mother dies, I will never return."

Frances Schönberger interviewed them all: Hollywood stars, TV celebreties, Rock'n' Roll legends and teenage heart-throbs. She got wet in Woodstock, made out with David Bowie, put KISS on a cover for the first time, and watched Arnold Schwarzenegger and Nastassja Kinski splash about in her pool. The highlight of her reporter career was a day with John Lennon in New York.

But it all started in a small Bavarian village ...

Looking at my collection of rocks and sea shells from the beach, putting down the newest addition, I realize: 

I Prefer The Broken Ones

Edges and Ridges,

Cavities and Gaps, 

Traces of Time

Story Lines

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I met Josh in a classroom in South LA. It was the third session of a writing work shop. The students had interviewed elders of their families and were supposed to write stories about the elders' challenges and triumphs, memories they shared, what they had in common and what made them different. Volunteers like me were supposed to help.

Piece of cake - I am a reporter. Getting the story out of people is my bread and butter business.

Josh was hiding his face under a hoodie. Headphones over his ears and a tired smile made it obvious, that this was going to be a challange. Josh did never type a word into his computer, but he told me his and his grandfather's story. I was typing as fast as I could ...

Mildred is smart, beautiful, ambitious, kind and passionate. Mildred came to California to learn.

In her country, it was too dangerous for her to go to school. In her country, her oldest brother got shot in front of the family's house. In her country, the family received death threats.

She was born in Honduras. The family fled to Guatemala first. There was no way to go to school there for Mildred. When she was eight, the family decided to go farther North. The US. Smugglers separated Mildred and her three younger siblings from their mother.

Line of scrimmage. Fourth and goal. End zone.

Tight end. Wide receiver. Runner. Tackle. Touchdown.

Snap. Strip Sack. Hail Mary. Over.

I am German. I grew up with "Eckball", "Elfmeter", "Strafraum", "Hackentrick", "Freistoß" und "Abseitsfalle". But my husband is a Football fan. And a very patient teacher of everything U.S. sports: vocabulary, actions, politics. Football, basketball, baseball, hockey.

This is how the sight of men in football armor fighting for the win became pur poetry for me.

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