The Souls of Black Folk – Review

By W.E.B. Dubois An old book, over a hundred years old already. Some of the essays have passed from contemporary relevance into historical record, but it is history rarely discussed, from an intimate perspective and the prose hasn’t lost any of its power. Nobody writes like that anymore! The Greeks, the Bible, Shakespeare. The Veil, […]

Commander of the Faithful: Review

By John W Kiser An enjoyable and easy introduction to an amazing life. The book is strongest in the first third, showing his upbringing and describing Algerian society in that period, and in the last third, when his exile and travels involved him in many important and unexpected events. Meeting Imam Shamil the Chechen Mujahid […]

Nothing Left to Say – Blues Gang

Nothing Left to Say Translation by Bin Gregory Productions Riding my bike down to the store Middle of the day, in the middle of the heat Who’s got the strength to tap rubber Nothing left to say If I could, I’d be a school teacher Down in Kuala Pilah Fields of paddy, buffalos all over Water […]

Tapai ubi, tapai nasi

A banana leaf wrapped and held with lidis could hold just about anything. In this case, it holds tapioca root, ubi kayu, that has … crossed over. Normally a dense, bland, starchy tuber considered poverty food or at best home cooking, it is transformed into a pillowy soft sweetness soaking in a fiery liqueur