I have a ( probably unhealthy ) livelong obsession with Heinrich von Kleist, one of Germany’s most interesting, but also problematic writers of the 19th century. The groundbreaking critical edition of his works has been a never ending delight, as […]
Excellent 15 minute portrait about humour in Aki Kaurimaki’s work, Finland’s finest director and one of my top 3 of all times.( The other being Antonioni and Tarr ). Plus an added bonus of a wonderful early short film “Shit […]
Excellent article about Hans Blumenberg, whose philosophical approach has always fascinated me, as it is free of political agendas and deals with the role of myths and archetypical beliefs in an open minded manner. In our highly ideological times, where […]
One of the many remarkable poets from Russia. Her work is considered among some of the greatest in twentieth century Russian literature. She lived through and wrote of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Moscow famine that followed it. […]
One of the most scurrile and weirdly imaginative writers ever was Harry Stephen Keeler,whose books I have devoured for many years. A defining characteristic of his writing is the so called “webwork plot”. Here is a good definition from Wikipedia: […]
Italian neorealism was one of Italy’s finest cinematic movements, characterized by stories set amongst the poor and the working class, filmed on location, frequently using non-professional actors. Its films mostly contend with the difficult economic and moral conditions of post-World […]
