S5 E15: Happy Birthday Johann Wolfgang von GoetheToday, August 28, 1749, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Poet, playwright, novelist, philosopher, scientist — Goethe embodied the boundless energy of creativity. His words carried the currents of human longing, joy, and striving into every corner of life.Centuries later, we still turn to him, not out of duty to the “canon,” but because his voice feels startlingly alive. He reminds us that literature is not static; it is a living, breathing companion to our journeys.For me, Goethe has become a guide through the labyrinth of Faust. That great, mysterious work continues to reveal new pathways each time I open its pages. It is not just a play but a meditation on being human: on ambition, temptation, wonder, and the search for meaning.“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”Today, I lift my glass in a toast to Goethe — to his courage in dreaming, to his insistence on beginning, and to the enduring magic that his words offer to every reader who dares to follow.Here in Rebecca’s Reading Room, I invite you to pause with me. Perhaps read a line of Goethe aloud. Perhaps take a quiet moment to dream. And most of all, to celebrate the wonder of words that outlive time.Happy Birthday, Goethe! May your voice continue to echo in our lives.With joy and gratitudeRebeccaNote: As Don and I explore the creative possibilities of voice, we are experimenting with ways to artistically reimagine how past voices might sound if they could speak to us today. What might Goethe say, if he could step across centuries to offer us a lesson? These are not impersonations but tributes — a way of bringing literature to life in new forms, so that it may continue to echo in our present.This audio performance was created in collaboration with Don and with the help of ElevenLabs AI voice technology. Our aim is not impersonation but artistic reimagining — a way of bringing literature to life for a new generation of listeners. Music is by Epidemic Sound: “All that you will be” by Gavin Luk The photograph of is of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe at age 79 by Joseph Karl Stieler, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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