by Alexandra Gipson
“I grew up in Plum, a funny name for a funny town/ whose gaudy purple trash cans display the words/
“One Great Big Small Boro”/ with pride, as if this town has something to be proud of.”
The way in which Bryan Fogel portrays the complex constellations of power — from the press corps to the Saudi crown to the White House — reveals a clear story of how murky the issues of free speech and dissent can be. Though the events surrounding Khashoggi’s death are complicated, Fogel makes one thing definite: more must be done.
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Patrice Nganang describes his reading diet: “I read and stop, this book, that book, without distinction. Sometimes I read all the books of an author, and then move to other writers. I just finished reading the books by Cameroonian writer Max Lobe, and now it is Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor I am reading, after this I am reading Imbolo Mbue.”
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In a statement given to the Scholars at Risk, his wife Vasantha Kumari said that during her last phone call with Saibaba, he “could speak with great difficulty. We could make out he was breathless, his throat was sore.” With each passing day, it grows increasingly troubling that, even after a positive test for Covid-19, the Indian government and the government of Maharashtra State will continue their practice of denying basic medical care to Saibaba.
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Last summer, Damon Young — the writer, critic, and humorist — partnered with City of Asylum to host a six-episode series called “How to Survive in America” in which he interviewed some of his favorite writers about writing, race, living through COVID-19, and everything in between.
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“I will continue to want
with no getting
your warmth, your love
your arms, your thighs.
Missing you is the real disease
no vaccine can prevent it.”
– Bewketu Seyoum
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Ethiopian novelist and poet Bewketu Seyoum discusses his writing process, how he remains connected to Ethiopia, and how the pandemic has inspired his writing.
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