In Sheila Fitzpatrick’s Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s, we are given a world of knowledge surrounding how Post-Revolutionary Russia was an ever-changing situation. After all, “This was an age of utopianism[1].” Many Russians felt that Communism could be the answer to their prayers. Unfortunately for many, life under Stalin was one… Read on
“A Book to read, again; A Terrifying prophecy; A Reason to Act Now[1].” So reads the back cover of Nevil Shute’s masterpiece, On the Beach. The book takes us to what remains of the world following a nuclear holocaust. The people of the Southern hemisphere, particularly those in Australia, have become the sole survivors- temporarily- of the nuclear… Read on
“You have enemies? Good. That means you have stood up for something, sometime in your life.” – Winston Churchill Churchill was right, for if you fight for what you hold to be right and true, some people are bound to get annoyed, angry and might hate you. Would it be better, then, to stay quiet and have everyone… Read on
Andrea Zuvich 19th November 2006 The Killing Fields Torture, Murder, dehumanization- the Khmer Rouge’s infamous practices are known with horror throughout much of the world. The genocide of over two million men, women and children[1] has gone down in history as one of the most brutal examples of it in the twentieth century. The film entitled The Killing… Read on
I’m an unabashed romantic, and I’m writing this because very few people nowadays will openly admit to being romantic, as they think it makes them “uncool.” I don’t like how many relationships revolve around text speak like “ur hot, i miss u lotz.” Once upon a time, the equivalent would have been: “To my glorious Adonis-like love, whose… Read on
Not one writer has touched my heart and satiated my intellect as William Shakespeare has. Since I was a little girl, I have loved his sonnets, his plays, his themes, and the emotional resonance of them all. I am proud to say I’ve read the Complete Works entirely at least twice. Born in Stratford-Upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England, William… Read on
The content of Part One of Robin Wang’s book, Images of Women in Chinese Thought and Culture, was comprised of many beautifully-versed poems full of imagery. These poems, including Book Twelve of the Lessons of States or Guofeng, are quite beautiful and fluid. For example, Ode 143 states: “The moon comes forth in her brightness; How lovely is… Read on
We went to the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and it was a wonderful experience. Anyone who loves the Seventeenth Century and science must come here if they can! We were lucky that the weather was good for the outing. It’s quite a trek going up the hill like we did, but great for the old legs! Greenwich is an… Read on