Euro 2008: boys with balls
Thank God for the existence of Iker Casillas. The Spanish keeper, team captain, and Legolas-like wonderboy made the final bearable for me. Casillas made me think back to 2002, when this unusually...
Category: Themes
The trouble in Lebanon: interview with Sandra Mackey
Sandra Mackey is an award-winning author on Middle Eastern politics and culture. Her latest book is entitled Mirror Of the Arab World: Lebanon In Conflict (W.W. Norton, 2008). Jonathan: What is it...
The traveler hypothesizes
I’m traveling again. I’ve found that this sort of experience gives rise to much scientific thought. While many travel writers use the tried and true “stream of consciousness” approach, I...
Americans in Paris: a love rekindled
Picture courtesy of Liza Bishop & Kent Morris. Back in 2003, the love affair between France and America ended. To make matters worse, the "break-up" between the two countries happened on...
Eating fish and sanyasa: Vivekananda’s travels in Travancore
The other day, I came across a very interesting document - an account of Swami Vivekananda’s visit to Thiruvananthapuram in December 1892. It was written by K Sundarama Iyer, a senior officer in...
Chasing the Flame: a review
This is a review of Chasing the Flame: Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Fight to Save the World by Samantha Power. Allen Lane, 2008. Most United Nations officials do not make for engrossing literary...
Amusement from Insipid Places
When I was younger I would ask people the following question: If you could be immortal and all you had to do was chop off the head of the person you most love, would you do it? Most people would look...
She Will Come
Please note that an audio recording of the poem is available below She will come Oh, yes! She will come. If I have to sprain an ankle, She will come, she will come. She makes like she won't, but that...
1948: a review
This is a review of 1948: The First Arab-Israeli War by Benny Morris. Yale University Press. 2008. In 1980's, a group of Israeli historians including Tom Segev of Haaretz (a daily Israeli newspaper),...
The Revenge, Finding the Pirate
The previous installment of 13-year-old Chloe Bradshaw's dark take can be found here. “I seek information,” Luke told the vampire before him.“I wish to know the whereabouts of a pirate.”...