Culture Watch

In historical terms, the entries span from ancient Rome to the late 20th century. Some entries are true thought experiments, or as Douglas Kahn has called them, "conceptual instruments" which — at least according to our current estimations of technological possibility — could not exist outside of the imagination. Others bear close relationship to historical instruments, of which they can be seen as derivatives, variations, or mutant offspring. more »

Serena Nanda Reviews: The mysteries take place in the diverse and complex societies of Jedda, Saudi Arabia; Capetown, South Africa; and the Happy Valley in Kenya. Race, class, ethnicity, tribal and gender identities all play important roles in both the crimes and the investigations. The deep cultural contexts of the crimes are not dull academic explanations but subtle, authentic and fascinating descriptions. Central to each of these novels are women investigators, some official and some not, whose individual personalities and interactions with the local 'police cultures' add an extra dimension of interest and suspense to the stories.  more »

Rose Madeline Mula writes: Did you ever stop to think about how certain words reveal a great deal about us? I'm not talking about designations that others may use to desctibe our physical appearance (attractive, stocky, tall, graceful...) or characteristics (sweet, generous, funny...) but, rather, words that tickle our fancy; phrases that turn us on — or off. more »

"Caillebotte grew up in the destruction/construction zone of the 8th arrondissement in Paris, one of the new neighborhoods built during Napoleon III's massive urban renewal project of the 1850s and 1860s. His response to the modern city was quite personal and there is something in his aesthetic that speaks directly to 21st-century urban dwellers." more »