Notebooks

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James Ensor, the man behind the masks

When the Belgian artist James Ensor died 75 years ago, he left behind a set of paintings that seemed to glory in the macabre. His art, however, reveals a profound passion for light..

Cath Pound June 17, 2024

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Françoise Hardy’s English connections

The late French singer captured the hearts of multiple generations of England's rock fraternity.

Alexander Larman June 13, 2024

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Macron’s very French gambit

By calling parliamentary elections, will Emmanuel Macron save the constitution by drawing on a distinctively French legacy of political action, or risk the future of the republic?

Angus Brown June 11, 2024

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The magic of Merchant Ivory

The unconventional backgrounds and insider-outsider credentials of the film-makers Ismail Merchant and James Ivory qualified them to chronicle, with such precision and power, E.M. ..

Muriel Zagha June 10, 2024

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India sends Modi a message

The 2024 Indian election delivered a shock result, depriving Narendra Modi's seemingly invincible BJP of an expected majority. The prime minister will now have to temper some of hi..

Mukulika Banerjee June 6, 2024

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Learning the right lessons from Ukraine’s naval war

The conflict between Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea offers both lessons and warnings about the future of naval warfare.

Joshua C. Huminski June 6, 2024

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More than just a moment: the deep roots of American populism

History tells us that economic and political populism is as quintessentially American as capitalism itself.

Samuel Gregg June 5, 2024

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The malevolent spirit of Ebrahim Raisi

For ordinary Iranians, Ebrahim Raisi represented the banality of evil that infected the regime but he will be presented by the state as a martyr for the Islamic Republic.

Ali Ansari May 30, 2024

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What’s in an Italian name?

The endless Italian genius for naming things and people has found plenty of space in modern English.

Tobias Jones May 30, 2024