Joel Schalit / 11 Sep 2023

Reading Politics

The Battleground’s Fall Books List

Journalists don't read books. Or if they do, very sparingly. Trained to follow the 24-hour news cycle, they focus on the daily flow of events, hour by hour, minute by minute. That's the narrative we know.(...)
Charlie Bertsch / 05 Apr 2023

Turkish Future Past

Aşk, by Altin Gün

There are far worse things than sounding like a B-movie soundtrack from the 1970s. But when you combine that aesthetic with excellent musicianship and a willingness to experiment, the results are bound to bring pleasure.(...)

Charlie Bertsch / 11 Mar 2021

When There is Here

The Glitterbeat Guide to Globalisation

Hamburg-based record label Glitterbeat provides a beacon of hope, not only for music lovers tired of hearing endless iterations of the tried-and-true, but for anyone who believes unapologetic cosmopolitanism is our only gateway to a brighter future.(...)

Joel Schalit / 24 Jul 2020

Berlin After Lockdown

Don’t Forget the Kurds

History was at a standstill. The two months that the German capital was under lockdown made its residents seem as though time had stopped. It felt like the end of the world was nigh. Sidewalks were empty. Stores were closed. The hum of traffic had even disappeared.(...)
Joel Schalit / 03 Jun 2020

Dinner is Ruined

Döner After Lockdown

When the government finally announced restaurants could serve takeout, it was like a rainbow appeared over Berlin. As long as we picked up dinner by six, we were safe.(...)
Before the storm. Rome, Sunday.
Joel Schalit / 15 May 2020

Blaming the Victim

Italy and Islam

Religion is not a country. But, if you're looking to burnish your nationalist credentials, savaging a young woman for converting to Islam means otherwise.(...)

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