Tag Archives: Balkans

“No one can ever know anything about this madness, because all its components are unknown.” – Zlatko Dizdarevic, Sarajevo: A War Journal

Posted on September 23, 2013 by sheila

Written in real time during the siege of Sarajevo, by Zlatko Dizdarevic, an editor at the only remaining Sarajevo newspaper at that time, Sarajevo: A War Journal is horrifying reading, and essential reading. I was reminded of it the other … Continue reading →

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Snapshots

Posted on December 9, 2012 by sheila

— Reading a book on the fall of Yugoslavia. Can’t get enough of the Balkans. When times get tough, I usually start reading books about war. Maybe it satisfies my need for carnage and revenge. Who knows. I recently saw … Continue reading →

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Disappeared Worlds: Cinema Komunisto and The Miners’ Hymns

Posted on April 25, 2011 by sheila

These reviews originally appeared on Capital New York. Cinema Komunisto Cinema Komunisto begins with white words on a black screen: “This is the story of a country that no longer exists except in movies.” A cinephile’s dream, Cinema Komunisto, written … Continue reading →

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The Books: “The Historian” (Elizabeth Kostova)

Posted on February 5, 2008 by sheila

Daily Book Excerpt: Adult fiction: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova The story of the publishing of this book is almost as interesting as the book itself. It’s a first novel. It’s 5,000 pages long. It’s a sweeping historian’s look at … Continue reading →

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A good luck charm

Posted on February 15, 2007 by sheila

I’m so proud. Thanks, Mejack, for the wonderful link!

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How do you write “Holy shit” in the Cyrillic alphabet?

Posted on July 12, 2006 by sheila

At this very moment a raging argument is going on on a Macedonian blog between nationalist Bulgarians and nationalist Macedonians – about those posts of mine. I have no idea what is going on but everyone is obviously VERY angry, … Continue reading →

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The Books: “Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey Through Yugoslavia ” (Rebecca West)

Posted on April 8, 2006 by sheila

And here is my next excerpt. My history bookshelf. Next book on the shelf is the great Black Lamb and Grey Falcon (Penguin Classics), by Rebecca West. A 1200 page masterpiece. Is it possible that every page contains interest, horror, … Continue reading →

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The Books: “Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History” (Robert Kaplan)

Posted on February 20, 2006 by sheila

My history bookshelf. Onward. Next book on this shelf is called Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History by Robert Kaplan. This was the book that launched Robert Kaplan’s career- although he had been writing books and articles for Atlantic Monthly … Continue reading →

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The Books: “The Collapse of Communism” (NY Times)

Posted on January 31, 2006 by sheila

And here is my next excerpt of the day: I have now finished with the first bookshelf – in my kitchen – and have decided to now do excerpts from the books in my History/Biography bookshelf. I’m scared! But I … Continue reading →

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Finishing Black Lamb and Grey Falcon

Posted on September 10, 2004 by sheila

… I finished Rebecca West’s Black Lamb and Grey Falcon early this morning. I began it in May. I tried to stretch out that damn epilogue – because even though the book is pretty much one long expose of pain … Continue reading →

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