Argentine writer César Aira follows neither the rules of literature nor of literary fame. His work has been translated into 37 languages, Patti Smith says he's one of her favorite authors and he's been named as a likely future Nobel Prize laureate. Yet he lives quietly in Buenos Aires and lets small presses publish his books for free. He rarely gives interviews, but made an exception for Alejandro Chacoff, who spoke to him for The Dial.
'Aira rejects great theorizations about his decision to give away books for free or publish the majority with small publishing houses. “His form of publishing is part of his poetics, his resistance to editorial capitalism, his punk attitude”...'
More than 400 formal balls are held in Vienna each winter carnival season in a tradition that dates back to 1814, with breaks only for the two world wars and the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly every profession holds its own dance — some, such as the Hunters' Ball, have outlived the imperial-era jobs they were created to celebrate. For the Dial, writer Jessi Jezewska Stevens attended three balls to try and determine: "On a continent that relishes golden-era traditions yet finds itself slipping in the geopolitical world order, how do you face the future without romanticizing the past?"
The Ghosts of Max Weber in the Economic History of Preindustrial Europe
“References to Weber in the literature on preindustrial Europe published by economists during the last fifty years show that the more economists have rehabilitated culture as an autonomous force of economic change, the more they have heralded Weber as a precursor of their endeavors. The casting of Weber in such terms, moreover, has gone hand in hand with a decline, rather than an increase, in conversations between economists, sociologists, historians, and other humanists and social scientists interested in the role of culture in the formation of modern economic life.”
Trivellato, Francesca. “The Ghosts of Max Weber in the Economic History of Preindustrial Europe.” Capitalism: A Journal of History and Economics 4, no. 2 (2023): 332-376. https://doi.org/10.1353/cap.2023.a917621.
"I stand at the window of this great house in the south of France as night falls, the night which is leading me to the most terrible morning of my life."
The opening line to James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room is a masterclass in opening lines, the way it lulls you into cozyness then slaps you with that final clause.
Organ grinders have been a fixture on the streets of Mexico City since the 1800s, a result of dictator President Porfirio Díaz's passion for all things European. But nowadays, they're considered a nuisance — an assault against the ears. This, coupled with the high cost of renting and maintaining an instrument, means the tradition is at risk. Whitney Eulich talked to the remaining organilleros for @csmonitor. [story may be paywalled]
The titular character of Daniel Chacon's new short story collection, The Last Philosopher in Texas: Fictions and Superstitions, came to him as he was walking his dog in Pecos, the windblown West #Texas town where his father once lived. https://www.texasobserver.org/the-chicano-time-traveler/
"In this episode, we look at how distant cultures were contributing to the growth of English and how Shakespeare’s acting company built a world-famous theater in the late 1500s."
The first board game printed in America was called "The Travellers' Tour." It described itself as a "pleasing and instructive pastime," and consists of a hand-colored map of the then-24 states, with numbered circles, and a numbered list of 139 towns and cities. The game used a teetotum — an alternative to dice but without the gambling connotations — and was based on players' memories and geographical knowledge. Here's @TheConversationUS's Matthew Wynn Sivils on what the game can teach us about the U.S. in the 19th century. Tell us in the comments what board games you recommend!
In a new memoir, Christa Brown, one of the nation’s best-known clergy abuse survivors and #SBC whistleblowers, shares the shocking story of her escape from Baptistland.