150 years on, the struggle continues
Today, 28 May 2021, is the 150th anniversary of the final day of “The week of blood”, La semaine sanglante of 21-28 May 1871, that destroyed the Paris Commune. But as in the song by Eugène Pottier “La Commune n’est pas morte…” Its values are revived and its heroes and heroines quoted in every new … read more »
The Paris Commune and the crisis of imperialism
Commune(s), 1870-1871 by Quentin Deluermoz My rating: 5 of 5 stars The eruption of the Commune in the spring of 1871 in Paris, the capital of one of richest and most powerful global empires, caused tremendous commotion in all of Europe and beyond. And today, 150 years later, the Commune continues to resound as “a … read more »
The “week of blood” in gruesome detail
La Semaine sanglante: Mai 1871, légendes et comptes by Michèle Audin My rating: 5 of 5 stars Michèle Audin has done meticulous research to penetrate the many myths and distortions around “the week of blood”, May 21 to May 28, 1871, the massacre that destroyed the Paris Commune. How many were killed during that week? … read more »
The color of language
[An old review, re-posted because some of us were talking again about languages.] Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages by Guy Deutscher My rating: 3 of 5 stars This digressive examination of whether and, if so, how a speaker’s language structures his/her thoughts contains two interesting arguments bundled with … read more »
Confabulations
Confabulations by John Berger My rating: 5 of 5 stars John Berger (1926-2017) has always been a joy to read. Here, near the end of his life, he has shared his random thoughts and sketches from a notebook, each little essay and drawing stimulating some new thought (or perhaps, for him, reminding him of some … read more »