So thrilled to see this piece in Jacobin to mark the 30th anniversary of the collapse of the USSR by the departmental coordinator of Penn’s Russian and East European Studies, our very own Alina Yakubova.
Winter reading: Flora Tristan - Utopian Socialist
This is a wonderful introduction to Flora Tristan’s life and work, with English translations of selections of her major works.
Finished reading "Make Way for Winged Eros"
For those of you interested in the works of Alexandra Kollontai and her views on sexuality, I finally finished reading the final part of her 1923 essay, "Make Way for Winged Eros: A Letter to Working Youth" for my A.K. 47 podcast. I’ll be discussing it in depth during my next episode, but make sure you listen to the whole essay before you listen to the discussion.
Thanks to Jean Bookishthoughts!
So delighted to be included in her September 2018 book haul.
Another blurb, this time from journalist Daisy Buchanan
“This book is funny, angry and urgent – it’s going to make readers think very differently about how they work, and how they live. Ghodsee is going to start a revolution. I’m already making a placard”
Summer Reading: Natural Causes
A friend recommended this book, and I devoured it in one sitting. I have always loved Ehrenreich's writing and for many years I taught her book, Nickel and Dimed. Because I also learned so much from Bait and Switch and Brightsided, I was eager to read her take on the hyper-medicalization of aging in the United States. She did not disappoint. It is so refreshing to read about someone who is growing old with grace and who is not afraid of the inevitable. Highly recommended for anyone over 40.
New article in the World Policy Journal
The Summer issue of the World Policy Journal just arrived in the post with my new article on the Russian women's activist, Alexandra Kollontai. It is always a thrill to see one's words in print on nice, glossy paper. And I am even more delighted to share an issue with Slavoj Zizek!
Advanced galleys are here!
These arrived in the post yesterday. These are the bound galleys that will go out for long-lead media and potential blurbers. After months of slaving away on this, it's so satisfying to see my words manifest in print.
Lunch at the Institute for Advanced Study
I drove up to the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton today to have lunch with Freeman Dyson after finishing his new book, Maker of Patterns. I tore through the book in one day, and enjoyed it immensely. Dyson narrates his life through a collection of letters he wrote home to his parents and later to his sister Alice. It is a remarkable jaunt through the second half of the 20th century – both personally and politically – and it is a real literary triumph. If anyone wants a good summer read, I highly recommend this book. At 94, Dyson is still a formidable force and a wonderful conversationalist.
