How the Soviet century wrote itself into the Moscow cityscape: The phrase “the Soviet century”, which refers to the hundred years following the Russian revolution of 1917, is generally understood to be about the political sphere – at home and beyond. Quite how that translates into the material world though is best appreciated through a …
Cormac McCarthy: a powerful writer who beautifully wrote about apocalypse and extinction: Endings, extinctions, last things preoccupied Cormac McCarthy from the start to the recent close of his 60-year career as a writer of fiction and, occasionally, drama for stage or screen. His first novel, The Orchard Keeper (1965), ends with the word “dust”. His …
South African activist Frank Anthony wrote a novel that has been forgotten: why it shouldn’t have been: Detail of a photo of Frank Anthony (front left) on Robben Island with Walter Sisulu (front right). © Unknown/Courtesy Nelson Mandela Foundation How does it come about that a man who dedicated the greater part of his life …
How I wrote an open source video game for Open Jam in a weekend: How I wrote an open source video game for Open Jam in a weekend Jim Hall Sat, 12/17/2022 – 03:00 Every year, Itch.io hosts Open Jam, a game jam where developers build an open source video game over a weekend. This …
During lockdown, South African students wrote a book about ‘a world gone mad’: GORDWIN ODHIAMBO/AFP via Getty Images South African student voices have largely remained unheard in formal discussions around COVID-19. A pandemic that should not be put to waste, COVID-19, on some podiums, is seen as laying the groundwork for germination of seeds of …
Dead Sea Scrolls: two scribes probably wrote one of the manuscripts: Shutterstock/Lerner Vadim Ever since the Dead Sea Scrolls were accidentally discovered over 70 years ago in a cave in Israel, they have been a source of fascination. The scrolls are famous for containing the oldest manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible. But exactly who wrote …
Charles Dickens wrote about the diphtheria crisis of 1856 – and it all sounds very familiar: Charles Dickens in his study at Gads Hill Place, England. Line engraving by Samuel Hollyer, 1875. Shutterstock/EverettCollection A strange and frightening disease is killing people across the world. Medical opinion is divided and it’s very difficult to get an …
John Le Carré: authentic spy fiction that wrote the wrongs of post-war British intelligence: Britain’s top spy, MI6 chief Richard Moore, has paid tribute to John le Carré, tweeting that the novelist had “left his mark on #MI6 through his evocative and brilliant novels”. Moore’s tweet, which conveyed the condolences of “all at the #RiverHouse” …
South Africa in the news: Black and Present: A review of Barbara Boswell’s And Wrote My Story Anyway: In And Wrote My Story Anyway, Barbara Boswell details the multiple ways in which black women writers forcefully created themselves under extreme conditions of being black and woman in South Africa.: “South Africa” – BingNews South Africa’s …
Dear Dambudzo Marechera… The letters Zimbabweans wrote to a literary star: Dambudzo Marechera, 1986 © Ernst Schade via Humboldt University, CC BY The writer Dambudzo Marechera, who died on 18 August 1987, remains a popular figure in Zimbabwe. He is heralded by a young generation as a radical and counter-culture figure. Marechera became an instant …
South Africa in the news: People wrote me off – ex-Orlando Pirates winger Mokoena reflects on Moroka Swallows’ PSL promotion: The former South Africa under-23 international was clubless for a year before joining then-NFD side Maccabi FC in 2018 and later moved to Swallows ahead of the current season. “This is a moment that I …
South Africa in the news: Farmers remember ‘Mr. Canola,’ who literally wrote the book on how to grow one of Canada’s most valuable crops: Many Canadians might not have heard of Phil Thomas. But to farmers across the country and around the world, the death of ‘Mr. Canola’ — the man who literally wrote the book on …
Bill Withers: soul music’s ‘everyman’ wrote songs for the world to lean on: Ain't No Sunshine: Bill Withers in 1976. Columbia Records Even before Bill Withers passed away from heart complications at the end of March, his 1972 hit Lean on Me had already become something of a marker for public solidarity in the face …
Why this developer wrote a quick and responsive music player: I wrote recently that “GogglesMM has been one of my favorite players for quite some time now.” So, when I was thinking about interviewing developers who build and maintain open source music players, Sander Jansen came quickly to mind. read more: Opensource.com clhermansen Supporting Open …
How Indian judges wrote love into law as they decriminalised gay sex: What does it mean to love in law? On Thursday 6th September, my social media feeds lit up with heart emojis, #lovewins hashtags, and status updates expressing love in response to the Supreme Court of India’s unanimous decision to decriminalise gay sex. There …
How I accidentally wrote a Wikipedia page on a layover in Dublin: A most unusual but wonderful experience happened to me recently on a return trip from Europe to the United States. A series of heavy Nor’easters hit the U.S. East Coast over the last couple weeks, one of which coincided with my trip back …
It was Big Tobacco, not Trump, that wrote the post-truth rule book: Smoking … and mirrors. Shutterstock After two chaotic months as president, Donald Trump is widely credited with rewriting the political rule book. We are witnessing Trump’s new era of post-fact politics, where distraction and obfuscation are central, and critical stories are dismissed as …