Culture and Media

The 80th anniversary of the birth of Russian poet and Nobel laureate Joseph Brodsky was marked this year in Russia by an incident on May 25 highlighting the special place writers still hold in Russian political culture. Iosif Brodsky (known as Joseph Brodsky in the English-speaking world) holds iconic… »

By RW Anton & Jhon Sánchez Sandwiched in between Hurricane Harvey and the Coronavirus pandemic, one woman continues to pull victory from the jaws of defeat. She is the boss of Boss Lady Press and my sister, Darshell McAlpine. My mentor, Jhon Sánchez, and I read her book, Leaving With… »

Commemorating June 4 is a “battle against amnesia” in Hong Kong Hong Kong has held candlelight vigils to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre for over 30 years, but this tradition — like so many cherished by HongKongers — is facing extinction as Beijing tightens the… »

SHIRAZ: A ROMANCE OF INDIA A film directed by Franz Osten A British, German and Indian co-production With actors Himansu Rai, Enakshi Rama Rau, Charu Roy, Seeta Devi A 1928 Indian silent film with music and English intertitles Meticulously restored by the BFI National Archive… »

By Henry Cruz New Yorkers like me have a complicated relationship with hugs. I first noticed it a few years back after this dude in Times Square holding a FREE HUGS sign gave me an insincere and awkward half-hug. Without missing a beat, Mr. Free Hugs said, “Hey, gimme a… »

I’m adding Christian Sorensen’s new book, Understanding the War Industry, to the list of books I think will convince you to help abolish war and militaries. See the list below. Wars are driven by many factors. They do not include protection, defense, benevolence, or public service. They do include inertia, political… »

By Deven DeMarco “What is a week-end” is the quip Maggie Smith’s character queries in the show Downton Abbey. And Governor Cuomo upon greeting the press corps last week said Happy Friday- does that mean anything if there is no weekend anymore? Time has folded back on itself like an… »

Pressenza is a collaborative press agency, where each person devotes their time and knowledge to a common project that goes beyond us: the humanization of journalism. Provide information that goes in the direction of solidarity, awareness, action, and non-violence. Since 2008, the date on which we started this path, we… »

An interview with Moldovan novelist Iulian Ciocan Moldova lies on cultural, linguistic, and geopolitical faultlines. Until 1991 this eastern European country of around three million was part of the Soviet Union, where Russian was considered the language of prestige. Upon declaring independence, Moldova quickly reestablished strong cultural ties with Romania,… »

By R.W. Anton It came out of nowhere, a throbbing, aching, thunderously obnoxious pain in the bottom right half of my jaw. As I was biting down on a delicious grilled chicken sandwich that I’d purchased from the deli just two blocks from my apartment, I felt it shoot through… »