Notebooks

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The perils of the quest for immortality

Modern magnates such as Jeff Bezos and Peter Thiel should heed the warnings of the Ancients in their quest for immortality.

Armand D'Angour October 15, 2021

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Dürer in Venice

Albrecht Dürer felt that he had to prove his ability as a painter to Italian audiences. His time in Venice left an indelible imprint on Italy's culture and on the great artist's le..

Daisy Dunn October 12, 2021

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The other Middle Sea

The Black Sea is back at the centre of a new order of world geopolitics.

Edward Thicknesse October 11, 2021

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Remembering Liu Xiaobo’s moral critique of modern China

The Nobel Peace Prize-winning dissident is representative of a tragic generation of intellectuals in China who had some voice in the wider world, and almost none in their home coun..

Kerry Brown October 10, 2021

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Kids these days

Teenagers first emerged as a distinct group seventy years ago, sparking outrage and moral panic – as well as a rush by corporations to cash in on a new demographic. But adolescent..

Eve Webster October 8, 2021

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Genius has its limits

Many 20th century rock stars have harboured literary pretensions and written novels and poems. The mercurial quality of their efforts shows that at least some of them should just s..

Francesca Peacock October 7, 2021

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Donnez moi un break

Franglais can be a charming way to bridge the gap between the ever-bickering neighbours, the UK and France, but only when the franglaphone bears both sides of the channel in mind.

Agnès Poirier October 1, 2021

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In search of Narnia

Read C.S. Lewis’ children’s classics as an adult, and their mix of fantastical imagination, complex theology, and philosophical ponderings converge towards a fundamental human desi..

Marie Daouda September 30, 2021

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The march of the sovereign individuals

Co-authored by James Dale Davidson, an American financier, and William Rees-Mogg, former editor of The Times, The Sovereign Individual forecasted a world of ceaseless technological..

Oliver Rhodes September 28, 2021