13 April 2008
Massey Lectures 2007: The City of Words, Lecture 3, The Bricks of Babel
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In the biblical account, the people of Babel suffered a terrible curse: to be scattered throughout the world and be given different languages. This, it was written, was why friction and misunderstanding began to develop between people as there was no longer a common form of communication. But is there another reading to this tale? Why is it that a diversity of languages and culture are in some places celebrated and yet the tensions remain? In his third talk, Alberto Manguel searches the story of Babel for clues to mending a wounded world.
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Further Information
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Publications
Title: The City of Words:Understanding civilisation through story
Author: Alberto Manguel
Publisher: Queensland University Press
Music
CD title:
Towards the sea
Track title:
Sonate pour flute et harpe, Adagio - presto
Artist: Robert Aitken/ Erica Goodman
Composer: Jean-Michel Damase
CD details: Grammofon AB BIS, Djursholm: BIS CD 650
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