Forbidden Chirping
After all, our prime minister has been complaining about this so-called art for a long time. Art is beautiful and esthetic, it’s pleasant to the eye and ear, it… More
The Library in the Torture Center
Many of the countries represented in this year's FIFA World Cup—including finalist Argentina—have less than impressive track records when it comes to free speech. Martin Ezpeleta visits the Library… More
N’existe Pas
The paparazzo placed his denim elbows squarely on the café table’s darkly polished depths. “The truth is, there is no further distinction to be made between ‘surveillance’ and ‘media’.… More
On the Precipice: Burmese Literature Post-Censorship
How does a country's literature recover after years of mass censorship? James Byrne, poet and founder of the poetry journal The Wolf, has followed the developments in Burma for… More
Notes From the Provincial Town of N
They stared in amazement for a long time at the trucks of the special operations units, which they had never before seen in their town. These, however, remained purely… More
Putin’s Fight For “Traditional Values”
Leading up to and throughout the Sochi Winter Olympic Games, we will be exploring through poetry, fiction, and nonfiction the implications of growing restrictions on freedom of expression in… More
“The ongoing crackdown on civil society is truly unprecedented”
Those who dare speak out—be it about their sexual identity or their discontent with governmental policies—are threatened with punishment and blackened in the eyes of society. More
Russia in Between Security and Democracy
The book market is not noticeably being censored. What is evident, however, is that innovative and controversial literature is being plucked out of the canon (thereby causing it to… More
Day of Rage
we checked it all out, twice we passed / the policeman in his sentry-box… / when we dispersed in the half gloom of side-streets / I noted this image:… More
What is the Literary Scene in Russia Like Today?
The literary process is now organized as show business, with flashy presentations and contests, ratings, quizzes, and so on. Serious authors conduct TV shows and even advertise consumer goods. More
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