Finding George Orwell in Burma by Emma Larkin

Finding George Orwell in Burma by Emma Larkin: This splendid, intrepid, and thoroughly original marvel goes on my top 10 list for 2014. Most interestingly, in this day & age of facebookesque over-sharing, Emma Larkin has no web page to refer to, such is the nature of her work. P.S. Emma Larkin on pen names.

I have so much more to say about Finding George Orwell in Burma, but alas, I am in the midst of overseeing the final touches to the Spanish translation of Metaphysical Odyssey into the Mexican Revolution: Francisco I. Madero and His Secret Book, Spiritist Manual, and must (must!) finalize two podcast interviews, one with historian John Tutino, the other with Mexican writer, editor and translator Rose Mary Salum. Stay tuned. And meanwhile, all thinking people, dear readers, go get yourself a copy of Emma Larkin's Finding George Orwell in Burma. And if you don't know who George Orwell is, get your 1984 here.

More links:
> Top 10 Books Read 2013.
> Recommended Literary Travel Memoirs

COMMENTS

Cyberflanerie: Creative, Crappy, and Consternating Public Policy Edition

Burning Man's UAV aka Drone Policy
Uyy, this is so 2013.

Is the Fourth Amendment Now Illegal? Alex Tabarrok both wisely and alarmingly asks.
(For those of your rusty on your Fourth Amendment, read ye up.)

It's 1984 in New York City. I am genuinely surprised there has not been more outcry about Mayor Bloomburg's aggressive misuse of the police force against citizens. More than kind of reminds me of what historian Stanley Ross said of Porfirian Mexico, that the so-called "necessary man" made Mexico "safe for the right people."

The comments are the best part of this NYT article about one Spanish mayor's solution to the dog poop problem. Very 1984-ish, too, but hilarious and effective!
P.S. Nothing beats Mutt Mitts. Come on, grocery bags are disgusting.

The Contrary Farmer on organic GMOs (Spinach good, fish genes bad?) Rather eye-crossing.

Can these children please grow up and sue somebody (preferably not their parents)?

Seth Godin on No Decisions, No Responsability

To end today's thoroughly downer of a post, here is a positive thoughtoid. If you don't like the looks of your house, you will feel ever so much better after looking at these.

More anon. 

COMMENTS?

Mudflats on Palin's Attempt to Ban Books in Wasilla

So what was on Mayor Palin's hit list? Fahrenheit 451? 1984? Well, I wouldn't bet the bazookas on those two titles. Here's the link to the Mudflats post. Photo left is the Wasilla, Alaska Public Library, via Mudflats. More anon.

UPDATE Sept 12: USA Today recently reported that Palin "did not ban books." Still, according to that same article, it's the same story reported by the Mudflats blog (see link above). To quote from the USA Today article:

Mary Ellen Emmons was Wasilla's librarian at the time. She told a local newspaper, the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, in December 1996 that Palin repeatedly had asked her about removing books from the library, but said Palin never mentioned specific titles, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

Palin has cast her questions about the library's policy, including at a 1996 City Council meeting, as theoretical. Her critics, including a city resident who attended the meeting, say the questioning was more direct.

"There was no way that I thought it was rhetorical," said Anne Kilkenny, who said she attended the meeting where Palin raised the issue but says she did not remember Palin's exact words.

In January 1997, Palin requested that the city's department heads, including Emmons, reapply for their positions. Though the censorship issue was not raised, some members of the community rallied behind Emmons and the librarian kept her job until she resigned three years later.

Read the whole USA Today story here:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-09-09-Palin-book-ban_N.htm