Bad writing
Ice queens, sex machines
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Insofar as erotica can ever be about something, what is Russia-themed erotica about?
Perhentian Sunrise
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A story about romance. « The eve of a suitor’s arrival, bigger than Christmas or birthday, I tell you. »
Tragedy & farce in climate commentary
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« We are fucked » vs. « It’s not too late ». The Club of Rome’s Earth for All offers a burst of stubborn optimism. But when does stubborn optimism become cruel optimism?
Kill your darlings
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Like plots in a garden cemetery, with lamentations, good-riddances or other epitaphs.
Eat the dust
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Søren Kierkegaard compared reading reviews of his books to « the long martyrdom of being trampled to death by geese. » What martyrdoms does today’s bookishness portend?
On the anti-poetry of « crowdfunding campaign »
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Kickstarting used to be something you did to an engine. To « kickstart » the European Review of Books makes it feel like we’re riding a motorcycle in World War I. But we only want peace!