Notebooks

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Who are the modern Greeks?

For the west, Greece is classical Greece, the birthplace of western culture, thought, and democracy, while for the Slavic-speaking world it is a brother-nation of the Orthodox chur..

Edward Thicknesse March 31, 2022

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Kerouac Abroad, Kerouac at Sea and Kerouac Out There

Many view reading Jack Kerouac as an embarrassing phase — but his work articulates so much more than American youthful rebellion.

Malcolm Forbes March 30, 2022

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Illuminated by Sidney Lumet, beyond reasonable doubt

Sidney Lumet’s Twelve Angry Men should be on the school curriculum — has there been a more relevant film to watch today in our era of populism, over simplistic arguments, and fake..

Agnès Poirier March 22, 2022

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Solzhenitsyn, Putin and the historical myth-making that drives Russian imperialism

Undeniably there are deep cultural and political ties between Russia and Ukraine. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a hero in much of the West, but he helped inspire in Putin a destructiv..

Tomiwa Owolade March 18, 2022

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Will Russia be happy as China’s junior partner?

For the Chinese leadership, Russia is understood as a place too important to be complacent about – but also as the lesser force in a partnership in which Beijing wants to take a le..

Kerry Brown March 18, 2022

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On the dangers of sleep

Today, it’s seen as the ultimate pillar of health – but many ancient lives were shaped by the suspicion that excessive sleep was undesirable for the mind – if not categorically tre..

Daisy Dunn March 16, 2022

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History’s soundtrack: America’s swinging musical diplomacy

Against the background of the Cold War, the Vietnam War, and a growing civil rights movement, America’s foremost jazz musicians travelled the world as cultural ambassadors, becomin..

Maria Golia March 11, 2022

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The right path — the complexities of transporting lethal aid to Ukraine

Shipping arms to Russia’s enemy is not without risk, but examples from history show that it is both possible and the right thing to do.

Katja Hoyer March 7, 2022

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Putin’s war with the Church

You can’t separate the Ukrainian – Russian war from the region’s historical struggles over Orthodox Christianity. The Russian state is using every tool in its arsenal, including ag..

Jacob Lassin March 4, 2022