These days we live in informal times. First names are in, and formal titles are going the way of the top hat. Commentator Elissa Ely isn't sure she likes the change.
Jenny Erpenbeck's novel, translated by Michael Hofmann, follows a couple in 1980s East Berlin and their tumultuous relationship, while Germany undergoes its own political transformation.
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Jamila Wignot, the filmmaker behind a new documentary series called Stax: Soulsville USA, about the story of the legendary record label.