I read this recent piece by Elizabeth Wurtzel with a mixture of recognition, sympathy, fear and frustration. Wurtzel is constantly derided as a pointless narcissist, but she has a lot of texture. Yeah, she’s absorbed in herself, but she submerges beautifully. She gives us something to marvel at in the process. There’s a nakedness toContinue reading “Dear Elizabeth Wurtzel – you’re OK, really”
Category Archives: Kultur
You know, I’d say that this entire Derek Walcott thing has left a bad taste in my mouth
…But then, some pervert might interpret it as a come-on. *haw haw* As evil_fizz recently pointed out – most people are aware of Walcott’s reputation as, well, someone who doesn’t respect certain boundaries with women. As most of the recent defenses of Walcott attest, it isn’t that anyone is denying that improprities have occurred –Continue reading “You know, I’d say that this entire Derek Walcott thing has left a bad taste in my mouth”
Anyone who’s ever lived in a run-down neighbourhood in Kiev or Moscow or…
I first heard this song this past winter, and have been thinking about it for a while: Instead of the fantasy world of boutiques and Porsche Cayennes and lip implants, I get the reality of my own neighbourhood in Ukraine: colloquial pronunciations, walls covered in graffiti and guys named Vasya, along with gossiping grandmas inContinue reading “Anyone who’s ever lived in a run-down neighbourhood in Kiev or Moscow or…”
Eurovision, Poetry and Sangria
A big congratulations to Norway’s Alexander Rybak and his lovely, playful “Fairytale” – a huge Eurovision win. Sasha was born in Belarus and speaks Russian as well as Norwegian. I still think that Sweden should have done much better, but “Fairytale” works on so many levels that it’s hard to fault anyone for voting forContinue reading “Eurovision, Poetry and Sangria”
Tweedledee, Tweedledum and Faerie Lands
For eight long years, D and I have been internet friends. We traded witticisms (well, witticisms in his case, anyway) as we chatted about Tolkien, Metallica, life, death and the importance of good beer. We kept in touch when I went to college, when he got his Master’s, when I moved to the Middle EastContinue reading “Tweedledee, Tweedledum and Faerie Lands”
Natalia A. 