The second of the three I acquired of Joan Slonczewski last Friday, Daughter of Elysium follows on from A Door into …
February 6, 2012
Reading: Joan Slonczewski – A Door into Ocean
A special arrival on Friday: three books of Joan Slonczewski, who is now on my Illustrious List of Science Fiction …
January 19, 2012
Reading: Seung-Joon Lee — Gourmets in the Land of Famine: The Culture and Politics of Rice Consumption in Modern Canton
The last of my first stack of books for 2012, and one that has been on my list for a …
January 19, 2012
Reading: Shi Naian — The Water Margin: The Outlaws of the Marsh, Trans: J. H. Jackson
This is one of the classics of Chinese literature, and me being the philistine could only gawp over how thick …
January 19, 2012
Reading: Paul A. Van Dyke — The Canton Trade: Life and Enterprise on the China Coast, 1700-1845
Continuing my return to reading China, as with my focus on women in the history of China, so too is …
January 16, 2012
Christian & his Verdienstkreuz
One of the first freelance jobs I got in Berlin was salvaging a website for Christian Ender. Over the past …
December 30, 2011
Reading: Joan Slonszewski – Brain Plague
I’ve already finished it. Joan Slonczewski I discovered through Charles Stross, when she guest-blogged there, and her The Highest Frontier was my …
December 15, 2011
Reading: Susan Mann – Precious Records: Women in China’s Long Eighteenth Century
Shortly before departing for Brussels, I finished Susan Mann’s brilliant The Talented Women of the Zhang Family, and began Gail Hershatter’s …
November 27, 2011
Reading: Gail Hershatter — The Gender of Memory: Rural Women and China’s Collective Past
This is the book I was so intimidated by I went off and read Charles Stross and Harry Potter for …
November 27, 2011
Reading (2nd Time): Charles Stross — Rule 34
The first time I read Charles Stross’ Rule 34, I wasn’t writing about why I read certain books. So, taking …
November 7, 2011
Was it something I said? (or, supernaut blocked in China)
I noticed a few weeks ago that traffic from China was low — single digits low instead of being in …
November 4, 2011
Reading: (2nd time) Susan Mann — The Talented Women of the Zhang Family
In early 2008, before I moved to Berlin, I had a book-buying spree, and a couple of those books I …
October 26, 2011
Ozco cuts Leigh Warren & Dancers Funding
I just heard from Daniel Jaber that the Australia Council for the Arts have cut Leigh Warren and Dancers triennial funding. Having …
October 19, 2011
“Reading: … ” Book of the Year 2011 (Non-Fiction): Nazif Shahrani – The Kirghiz and Wakhi of Afghanistan
nazif shahrani – the kirghiz and wakhi of afghanistan
October 19, 2011
“Reading: … ” Book of the Year 2011 (Fiction): Joan Slonczewski — The Highest Frontier
Joan Slonczewski — The Highest Frontier
October 19, 2011
“Reading: … ” Book of the Year 2011 (Fiction): China Mieville — Un Lun Dun
china miéville – un lun dun
October 19, 2011
Reading … a 4th anniversary
Another year of books. Not as many as last year; I took a pause for some time, unable to find …
October 15, 2011
Reading: Joan Slonczewski — The highest Frontier
A new author for me. I heard of Joan Slonczewski for the first time only a couple of weeks ago when …
October 7, 2011
Reading: Neal Stephenson — Reamde
There are five science-fiction writers — though this is a loose term, and none write in this genre exclusively — …
October 6, 2011
Occupy the World
Published on Sunday, October 2, 2011 by NYC General Assembly Declaration of the Occupation of New York City by NYC …
September 26, 2011
Reading: Rodric Braithwaite – Afghansty: The Russians in Afghanistan 1979-89
This year I’ve been attempting to fill in an embarrassing omission in my Central Asian studies. Mainly because my interest …
September 24, 2011
Reading: Liao Yiwu – God is Red
It was only in July this year, Liao Yiwu paid himself into the hands of smugglers on the border of …
August 12, 2011
Reading: Thomas Barfield – Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History
Thomas Barfield – Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History
April 6, 2011
reading: vera schwarcz – the chinese enlightenment: intellectuals and the legacy of the may fourth movement of 1919
vera schwarcz – the chinese enlightenment
April 6, 2011
Reading: Paul Hockenos – Joschka Fischer and the Making of the Berlin Republic
paul hockenos – joschka fischer
February 12, 2011
the sound of the people gives me hope
There has not been enough of this in my lifetime. It’s almost 4am, I should be going to sleep but …
February 9, 2011
The last free people on the planet
I started reading Neuroanthropology a couple of years ago at least, and it has been one of the first blogs …
December 3, 2010
Burka Bondage
The past couple of months Dasniya has been rehearsing with Helena Waldmann, in a piece she helped with last year …
November 27, 2010
Reading: Edward Allworth (ed.) – Central Asia – 120 Years of Russian Rule
(No cover image)
October 20, 2010
Zwei Bäume weniger in Berlin nur Baustellen und Bagger und brave Bürger..
zwei bäume weniger – 1 zwei bäume weniger – 2 zwei bäume weniger – 3 zwei bäume weniger – 4 …
October 19, 2010
Uferstrasse Trees
A few months ago various people in Uferstrasse got together to save some trees that were to be felled in …
October 16, 2010
“Reading: … ” Book of the Year (Non-Fiction): Jonathan Safran Foer – Eating Animals
jonathan safran foer – eating animals
October 16, 2010
Reading… a 3rd anniversary
Regarding the two-score books of the last year, it is surprising which of the non-fiction – a term I use …
October 9, 2010
Liu Xiaobo 刘晓波
Congratulations to Liu Xiaobo for being awarded the Nobel Peace prize. I’ve been keeping up with my reading on this …
October 4, 2010
Reading: Nazif Shahrani – The Kirghiz and Wakhi of Afghanistan
nazif shahrani – the kirghiz and wakhi of afghanistan
October 4, 2010
Reading: Peter Hopkirk – Foreign Devils on the Silk Road
peter hopkins – foreign devils on the silk road
October 4, 2010
Reading: Peter Hopkirk – Trespassers on the Roof of the World
peter hopkins – trespassers on the roof of the world
September 12, 2010
(Some) Stuff I Read This Week
For some reason I decided to start using Twitter again — I suspect iPhone — and without any clear purpose …
September 5, 2010
germany is (slightly) embarrassing itself
Reading signandsight’s From the Feuilletons this week… it’s been dead in my feed for some time, but returned with excellent …
August 12, 2010
Werner Bab
One of the first sites I did as a freelancer was porting imdialog-ev.org from a dead cms into WordPress for …
July 29, 2010
die bäume bleiben
(Just before cycling back to rehearsal…) Our beautiful tree of Uferstrasse will remain for the moment. The Berliner Wasserbetriebe has …
July 19, 2010
Reading: Christopher I Beckwith – The Tibetan Empire in Central Asia
christopher i. beckwith – the tibetan empire in central asia
July 14, 2010
meine bäume
Outside the window where I work with Dy are many beautiful trees. My view, as I sit here and write …
July 10, 2010
Reading: James A. Millward – Eurasian Crossroads: A History of Xinjiang
james a. millward – eurasian crossroads
June 18, 2010
reading: frank dikotter – the age of openness: china before mao
frank dikotter – the age of openness: china before mao
May 18, 2010
reading: hanna arendt – eichmann in jerusalem
reading: hanna arendt – eichmann in jerusalem
May 9, 2010
art sunday
Some rather nice art has fallen my way recently, falling around something that might become abjection. Of course it induces …
May 6, 2010
reading: Leslie T. Chang – Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China
Leslie T. Chang – Factory Girls
May 3, 2010
reading: hanna arendt – eichmann and the holocaust
reading: hanna arendt – eichmann and the holocaust
May 1, 2010
I am a Muslim
Coming to Berlin caused my attention to drift to a small part of my life I know little about, and …
February 4, 2010
anouk van dijk & falk richter – TRUST
The set is moody, gloomy, dark, chrome chairs and black leather sofa, matching seats, a stylist-industrial minimalist clutter extending back …
January 31, 2010
reading: g. whitney azoy – buzkashi – game and power in afghanistan
g. whitney azoy – buzkashi
January 21, 2010
reading: christopher i. beckwith – empires of the silk road
christopher i. beckwith – empires of the silk road
January 21, 2010
reading: iranophobia – the logic of an israeli obsession – haggai ram
iranophobia – haggai ram
January 10, 2010
Reading: Feng Jicai – Voices from the Whirlwind
feng jicai – voices from the whirlwind
January 7, 2010
Reading: Katherine Pratt Ewing – Stolen Honor – Stigmatizing Muslim Men in Berlin
katherine pratt ewing – stolen honor
November 3, 2009
Reading… a 2nd anniversary
My reading the last year has not been of either the volume, nor the breadth of the previous, in no …
October 25, 2009
orgy of tolerance
To have your idols disappoint. It is a delicious sensation. And probably inevitable, necessary. My Friday Antwerp wanderings, despite the …
August 17, 2009
save the vca
It is a long time ago now, camping on the lawn outside the front of Victorian College of the Arts …
August 5, 2009
a chronology of burnt-out corpses
Mainly that I laughed and snorted when I read the title and looked at the familiar map of Berlin drowned …
July 19, 2009
Gunter Kroemer
Over much of this year I’ve been working with Christian Ender on rebuilding the code of one of his documentary …
June 16, 2009
Reading: Alexandra Richie – Faust’s Metropolis – A History of Berlin
alexandra richie – faust’s metropolis
June 1, 2009
Reading: Zhao Ziyang – Prisoner of the State: The Secret Journal of Premier Zhao Ziyang
zhao ziyang – prisoner of the state
May 17, 2009
buchstabenmuseum
I’m not sure where I stumbled upon this, but it wasn’t so long ago and immediately thought of someone whose …
April 6, 2009
blog stuff
I shouldn’t be on my laptop today; I am bad. Working around 12 and sometimes up to 16 hours a …
January 22, 2009
a retrospective
Sitting in my lounge with Daniel talking about dance and my old works, many of which I am still very …
January 21, 2009
things to do at silverfuture this weekend
Because I haven’t been there for oh so too long, and I need a bit of queer drunkenness… and books …
January 18, 2009
Annemarie Schwarzenbach
And so I discovered Annamarie Schwarzenbach, who to a certain kind of Berlinerin is probably quite famous, yet in English …
January 12, 2009
Israel’s bombardment of Gaza is not self-defence – it’s a war crime
This letter of attorneys and academics appeared in the Times of London on Sunday. I suggest that all bloggers who …