Tag Archives: Stalin

Katyn (2007); Dir. Andrzej Wajda

Posted on February 16, 2013 by sheila

In mid-September, 1939, on a bridge in Poland, groups of people flee from opposite directions. The Germans invade from behind, and the Russians approach from the front. It is utter chaos. The crowd is well-dressed, for the most part, holding … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

György Ligeti’s “Musica Ricercata” in Eyes Wide Shut

Posted on September 8, 2010 by sheila

I watched Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures last night. When he was a teenager, he was already becoming an accomplished photographer, with a dark room set up in his parents’ house. In 1945, when FDR died, he took the … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, Music | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

2009 Books Read

Posted on January 1, 2010 by sheila

A pathetic showing when you consider how much I normally read (2008, 2007, 2006, 2005), but whatever, I did what I could. I did not read a book, not one word, from about March to August. Or, that’s probably wrong … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Personal | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

The Boat Cemetery in Central Asia

Posted on February 19, 2009 by sheila

Ryszard Kapucinski in his book Imperium writes: Central Asia is deserts and more deserts, fields of brown weathered stones, the heat from the sun above, sandstorms. But the world of the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya is different. Arable … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellania | Tagged , , , , | 35 Comments

Today In History: November 7, 1917

Posted on November 7, 2008 by sheila

One of the most seismic events of the 20th century: The Russian Revolution. Look at that gathering of rogues. I love the grainy old photographs of all of them – they always look so twinkly and jolly, don’t they? It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in On This Day | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

R.I.P. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Posted on August 4, 2008 by sheila

It was only when I lay there on rotting prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirrings of good. Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between … Continue reading →

Posted in RIP | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Master and Margarita As Graphic Novel

Posted on July 16, 2008 by sheila

Fantastic idea – and take a glimpse at the artwork by Andrzej Klimowski. WOW. Beautiful! Here’s my favorite image from that slideshow. Just looking at it gives me the creeps, remembering that awful cat in the book and how much … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Books: “Children of the Arbat” (Anatoli Rybakov)

Posted on June 10, 2008 by sheila

Daily Book Excerpt: Adult fiction: The Children of the Arbat, by Anatoli Rybakov To a Stalin addict like myself, this book was a pile of crack. A PILE!! Written over the course of almost 20 years, and repressed in Russia, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

The Books: “1984″ (George Orwell)

Posted on April 27, 2008 by sheila

Daily Book Excerpt: Adult fiction: 1984, by George Orwell. I covered much of my thoughts about this book in my post yesterday about Animal Farm. A bit more about Orwell the man (there’s so much there): Orwell himself wrote about … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

The Books: “Animal Farm: A Fairy Story” (George Orwell)

Posted on April 26, 2008 by sheila

Daily Book Excerpt: Adult fiction: Animal Farm: Anniversary Edition, by George Orwell. Nothing like starting off the weekend with a little Orwell. And I am of the mind that we should never forget Why Orwell Matters … to borrow a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments