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The blog of The Mantle's founder, Shaun Randol, is a mixed bag. You'll find quick book reviews, pithy thoughts on arts and culture, musings on international affairs, interviews, and all sorts of miscellaneous contemplations. In short, there's no rhyme or reason or theme.
The Parable of Mahna Mahna
I can't remember how the conversation began, but it was at least six months ago when I shared The Muppet Show's "Mahna Mahna and the Snowths" (November 30, 1969) video with a good friend of mine. I found the tune to be catchy and the video to be amusing. It's hard not to sing along and let out a chuckle while watching the skit:
Poetry from the Horn of Africa
On March 6, Warscapes magazine—a welcome newcomer to the international arts, politics, and literary scene edited by the passionate Bhakti Shringarpure—hosted “An Evening of Poetry from the Horn of Africa,” a night I won’t soon forget.
Poetry for the Eye
Review* of Emna Zghal’s solo exhibition, Plato/Pineapple at Miyako Yoshinaga art prospects, New York City, February 2 – March 10, 2012
*
The End of the Benevolent Dictator
In 458 B.C.E., Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus—at the request of high ranking officials—came out of retirement to rule as Roman dictator. The Aequians, who lived in the central Appennines of Italy, were fighting for their independence from Rome. The capital was in danger of losing control.
To Romania, Love Occupy Wall Street
The first draft of this letter (for the Romanian magazine Decât o Revistă) was written on November 14, 2011, one day before New York City's Occupy Wall Street encampment was raided. The second draft was finalized on November 22 while I was traveling in Nicaragua. The letter was translated into Romanian and publishd in January. To see how it appeared in the magazine (with accompanying photos by Ahmet Sibdial Sau), click here.
Until She Disappears
If melancholy can be sweet, then The Faster I Walk, the Smaller I Am (Dalkey, 2011) is just that. Kjersti A. Skomsvold’s debut novel, which won Norway’s Tarjei Vesaas's debutantpris (2009), provides a brief, sentimental glimpse into what it means to be lonely. The gloom of such a weighty (and tried) theme is relieved, refreshingly, by the narrator, Mathea, an aging introvert who is charmingly naïve, occasionally funny, often whimsical, but always … sad.
The Land of Echoes (Part 4)
[continued from Part 3] And now, the conclusion of my take-away from my trip to Nicaragua. I’ve taken to calling this series “The Land of Echoes,” a play on Nicaragua’s nickname, the "Land of Lakes and Volcanoes," because in many ways, reverberations from the past continue to haunt and shape the Central American country as it moves into the 21st century.
The Land of Echoes (Part 3)
[continued from Part 2] Despite the many good things in politics and society accomplished by the Sandinistas, one cannot claim that Nicaragua is a paragon of democracy and modernity—far from it.
The Land of Echoes (Part 2)
[continued from Part 1] Which brings us to the victorious Sandinista Revolution, which had been simmering for many years. Not to put too fine of a point on it, but the Sandinistas had many grievances with the Somoza dictatorship. To name a few of the primary concerns: Corruption was rampant through all levels of governance. Somoza and his family kept increasing their control over the economy by snapping up holdings in vital industries, such as cement, ranching, coffee, shipping, airlines, and numerous other enterprises, large and small. Collusion with the U.S.
The Land of Echoes (Part 1)
It is impossible for me to vacation anywhere without having first conducted a little bit of research about the history and contemporary politics of the destination. The last thing I want to appear to be to locals is a bumbling, passing-through tourist with zero interest in the land and people who are hosting me. To be at least mildly informed is the least I can do. It was with this attitude and mindset that I approached my recent vacation in Nicaragua.
