Thomas Hardy and the Urbanization of China. Letter from Suzhou by Glenn Arnold
So you were probably expecting a clever treatise linking Victorian literature and modern Asian economic theory? Sorry to disappoint you, but I have nothing to say about either of … Continue reading
Postcards from Rachel, Abroad. essay by David Shields
Hi, David. Here I am in Geneva. The Swiss have the second-largest standing army in the world. They can mobilize their entire force in less than 30 minutes. All men … Continue reading
Dudu Politics. Letter from Rome by Anna Maria Cossiga
Stories and anecdotes on Berlusconi are countless; and they are said to be true or false depending on who’s telling them. The last one goes that he went to the … Continue reading
Letter from Rome, by Anna Maria Cossiga
With all that’s been happening in Gaza, being Jewish might seem especially difficult right now. People tend to identify Israel and Israeli politics with Jews as a whole. Which can be dangerous. … Continue reading
Hong Kong. travelogue by Jason Wallengren
[click on image to view in full-res] Jason Wallengren is a self-exiled American artist who questions the geographical identity of his art by working in atypical global societal setups. He shifts … Continue reading
Vigeland. travel journal by Leslie Howes
Vigeland Park, July 2013 (Part I) Her uniform includes blue blazer and colorful flight attendant-like scarf. Her black shoes are scuffed at the toes; narrow trousers don’t quite reach her … Continue reading
Popes and Saints. letter from Rome by Anna Maria Cossiga
And so we have two new saints: John XXIII and John Paul II. Are we lucky! We, in Rome, are particularly so, because the sanctification took place right here. Rome … Continue reading
Juan José Saer: A geographical fiction, a fictional geography. essay by Steve Dolph
1 The Argentine novelist Juan José Saer was born to Syrian immigrants in 1937 and lived most of his young life in the city of Santa Fe. In 1968, Saer, … Continue reading
Silk Road and Granite Steps. essay with photographs by Glenn Arnold
Dunhuang, China, 27 December 2012 The wind bites my face, snow crystals sting my eyes. It is -17C, and my wife and I are scrambling out of the station, flowing … Continue reading
Seasons in Rome. essay by Anna Maria Cossiga
Winter It’s snowing! So beautiful. You never have snow, in Rome. Well, sometimes you do. Every twenty years or so. White carpet, muffling the steps of the many people walking … Continue reading