The “N”
Please note than an audio version is now available below the text. I have a friend who says the "N": A Whiteboy who's crazy as sin. "What up my 'N'!?" when my call Reaches him. "Nothing much, Homey,"...
The deaths that bind us: Solzhenitsyn, Pugovkin, Mordyukova
It feels instinctive to say that the death of Alexander Solzhenitsyn marks an end of an era. Which era, though? Solzhenitsyn's life spanned many eras: WWII, the gulag, the Khrushchev years,...
Thanks, Hollywood! The joy of unneeded sequels
We see it on blogs, websites, magazines. We hear it on radio shows. We even comment on it to each other. Believe me, I know how cliché it is to say that Hollywood is out of ideas. But in that same...
Terror in Bangalore
I wasn’t born in Bangalore. I don’t live there now. But ever since I was a child, it’s been the seat of my family. I’ve smelled the jasmine and diesel in the air. I’ve seen the elections of...
We, the Potheads
Please note that an audio verion of the poem is available below the text. Rise and Shine, Wake and Bake, Eat the Cake After some Shake 'n Bake... We, the Potheads, sure Love Pissin' Smokey off by Not...
Gods and Nymphs: the myths and realities of modern life and love
A few months ago, I read that Russian women have lost the war against sexism, and that one of the symptoms of said defeat is the dominance of the Nymph - "a professional beauty," the ideal partner...
Bounty hunter: embrace your inner weirdo
The historic streets adjacent to the University of Arizona in Tucson are famed for their oddity shops and restaurants that sell unusual art and bold the house-made seitan on the menu. It’s only...
Interview with Ahron Bregman: Israel, Syria, and the Elusive Peace
Ahron Bregman teaches in the War Studies Department at King's College, London. He specializes in the Arab-Israeli conflict and is the author of several books, including Israel's Wars: A History Since...
Montepulciano and the birthplace of the Renaissance
I recently stayed in Montepulciano, a town in southern Tuscany, famous for its “Nobile” wine. On the drive there, looking out the window, I was hypnotized by the harmonious landscape: there was...
“Honor killings” contort religion
ATLANTA — As an American Muslim, I was horrified to read about the tragic death of Sandela Kanwal in Clayton County, Ga., allegedly at hands of her father in a supposed "honor killing." According...