Books, Fiction

Inkheart

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I was researching how many copies of the Swiss children’s book Heidi have been sold worldwide, as I once heard it was the most popular German-language book ever. During this process, I came across Cornelia Funke, who is listed as a bestselling children’s book author from Germany. I had never heard of her, and my [Read More]
Diary, Politics

The Trump Show Continues

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As a dramaturgist, Trump is in a class of his own. I am trying not to pay attention everyday what he is doing to keep my mental health, but this morning I read the story in the NYT about this first cabinet meeting, and the role is handed to Elon Musk. Hats off. This is U.S. President Trump hosts his first cabinet meeting [Read More]
Documentary, Movies

Love has Won

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I recently came across the documentary Love Has Won, which tells the story of a young American woman who formed a cult around herself, convincing her followers that she was “Mother God.” The rise of smartphone technology after 2008, with the introduction of the iPhone and Android devices, has made documentary filmmaking significantly more accessible. [Read More]
Drama, Movies

Departures

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For many years, I have recorded films that I want to see in a to-do list software called OmniFocus. There are 128 items on the films list. One of them is Okuribito (a foreign language film). It is in position No. 5, which means it was recorded many years ago. I searched for the film [Read More]
Diary, Politics

From Marx to MAGA

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The WSJ published this beautiful essay by Jacob Berger, a professor of philosophy at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Why MAGA Folks Should Read Marx Today’s conservative populists will find sympathetic ideas about the failings of capitalism in the writings of the great communist philosopher On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised to reform higher education, which he [Read More]
Books, Fiction

To live

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This Chinese novel is deeply moving. The writing is very simple, but it manages to pierce through one’s heart. Set during the Civil War in China, it tells the story of a farmer who gambled away his father’s land and tries to make a living in an increasingly difficult context. First, he is forcefully inducted [Read More]