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Gracious Mama Africa, Dezarie (2001)
To describe Dezarie’s vibe—soul-stirring basslines, sweet melodies, militant lyrics—is to enumerate the qualities that give reggae global appeal. And yet there’s something unique in Gracious Mama Africa that…
4 min read
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The Trouble with Physics, Smolin (2006)
If Lee Smolin is right, the first half ofThe Trouble with Physics is destined to be forgotten. A decade or two hence, string theory may feel like a…
4 min read
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Never Let Me Go, Ishiguro (2005)
There is a passage near the end of Never Let Me Go that speaks about the inertia of the suffering we cause others (“By the time people become…
4 min read
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Austerlitz, Sebald (2001)
Austerlitz is like nothing I’ve ever read—a single paragraph flowing like a river, alternately rushing and quiet, oxbowing through a life, ordinary objects coming into glory like sun…
4 min read
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Time and Chance, Albert (2003)
The problem is our intuition of time. The laws of physics do not necessitate an experiential distinction between what we call the past (a supposed collection of recorded…
4 min read
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Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
I wasn’t expecting Singin’ in the Rain to be quite so…psychedelic. And also, if one is lacking hallucinogenic assistance, so boring. Yes, Gene Kelly’s athleticism is a marvel.…
4 min read
