July 14, 2025
Vive (Georges) LaFrance! Vive le Detroit Drive!!
"Terör-Free" Türkiye
Saturday, July 12, 2025
A terror-free Turkey is great, depending on how the word 'terror' is defined.
If we're talking about the PKK laying down its arms, then super.
But if the word "terror" is expanded to include peaceful opposition, then I can't say I'm much of a fan.
Trailz
Thursday, July 10
One thing I miss about living in Bozeman is the accessibility to bike trails. In Belgrade I ride my bike to the supermarket, liquor store, and various other downtown locales when the weather is in agreement. Beyond the downtown area of Belgrade, which is small, there isn't much else to attract me as a bike rider.
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| En route to Story Mill Park |
Postcard from Belgrade: A 5th Corner?
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
Overheard recently in downtown Belgrade:
"Four Corners is really growing fast!"
"I know! I hear soon they're going to build a 5th Corner."
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Postcard from Belgrade: Festive Fourth
Monday, July 7
It was a festive 4th of July in Belgrade. Belgrade has no municipal firework show, so instead people make their own.
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| There was a good turnout for "Cars on Broadway" |
Postcard from Belgrade: Belgrade Summer Nights
Thursday, July 3, 2025
On Wednesday of last week I went to the first of this year's "Belgrade Summer Nights."
However, I am a bit disappointed that the organizers didn't come up with an alliterative name, as is their wont, for this event. This name has no alliterative allure. Where's the spirit that brought us (in alphabetical order), the Book Brigade, Christmas Convoy, and Fall Festival?
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| No "Sensational Summer Nights?" Why not? |
Is alliteration now out at the Belgrade Community Coalition?
Red Star over the Black Sea: Paperback edition out
Sunday, June 29, 2025
The paperback version of Red Star over the Black Sea: Nâzım Hikmet and his Generation has come out.
Yay!
The hardcover came out in July of 2023, and a Turkish edition is supposed to be in print within the next year or so.
Below you can find links to reviews, podcasts, and online lectures related to the book.
Assad's Fall and Russia's Stumble
Thursday, December 12, 2024
I can only imagine how eerie it must have been for the residents of Damascus to wake up this past week and find themselves finally rid of the Assads.
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| All smiles for now |
But it must be terrifying as well, at least for those who don't savor the idea of living under the rule of fighters who, until quite recently, were affiliated with ISIS and other extremist Sunni Muslim militias. So, while I doubt that there are very many Syrians who will miss the tyranny of Assad's rule, there are some who will definitely be sorry to see the secularism of Baath party rule come to an end.
Now that Assad has been overthrown, the jockeying for power begins.
Kristmas Konvoy N & P: News from Belgrade and the World
Sunday, December 8, 2024
This past Thursday was our last day of classes at MSU, so there's been a lot going on. In the city of Belgrade, meanwhile, the Christmas Convoy rumbled through town last night.
The rumbling was so loud that I've barely been able to focus on the news. Russia, Romania, South Korea, Georgia--so much stuff going on. For my takes on the latest at home and abroad, see below.
Postcard from Belgrade: the Snows of Autumn
Sunday, November 24, 2024
The snows of autumn are back.
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| Not so long ago, the evenings were still quite balmy |
I woke up this morning and headed out into the living room area. There room has a number of high windows so it gives me a good sense of what the weather is like on any particular day. I saw a bunch of snow falling and all of a sudden felt really energized.
It's nice to have some real snow again.
Shotz from Ireland
Saturday, August 10, 2024
This past May I finished my last class on a Thursday afternoon, then went to my department's end-of-year party. The next morning I got up at 3:30 am, showered, and left my place at about 4:30. As usual, I walked to the airport--it's about fifteen minutes door-to-door--and then flew out to Michigan to see my parents.
I spent a weekend in Ann Arbor before traveling out to Philadelphia for a week to do some research for a new project that I'm working on. The research in Philly could only be conducted in the first week of the month, while some other research I had planned in DC could only take place in the last week of May.
It was a short trip, but a memorable one.
Video of my (virtual) talk on Nâzım Hikmet at Bosphorus University
Thursday, May 23, 2024
Here is a video of a talk I gave (virtually) earlier this year at Bosphorus University's Nâzım Hikmet Kültür ve Sanat Araştırma Merkezi.
The talk is in English.
Thanks to everyone at the center for making this possible.
The Sordid Reflections of a Detroit Lions Fan
Saturday, January 27, 2024
As the only Lions fan in the lives of a number of people, I've been hearing from a lot of friends this week. Mostly, they're writing to tell me that they're pulling for my team in the playoffs, which I appreciate. There's always room for one more on the bandwagon.
Upcoming Online Talk for the Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Nâzım Hikmet Merkezi
Thursday, January 11, 2024
In case you're interested, I'll be giving an online talk about Nâzım Hikmet and my book Red Star over the Black Sea: Nâzım Hikmet and his Generation at an event organized by the Nâzım Hikmet Center at Bosphorus University.
The event takes place on January 15, which is the 122nd anniversary of what is typically considered Nâzım Hikmet's birthday (in fact, it seems he was born toward the end of 1901). Online admission is free and the talk begins at 8 am, Montana time (10 am Eastern US, and 6 pm in Turkey).
For more information, see below.
Gabor Szabo in Budapest
Monday, January 8, 2024
I was in Budapest recently, where I was constantly reminded of one of my favorite jazz musicians, Gabor Szabo.
Christmastime Research in Istanbul
Friday, December 29, 2023
I've spent the last couple of weeks in Istanbul, and it's been good to be back.
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| March, 1992: I'm the one in the jean jacket |
Ukraine and Russia: Any Deal Should Include NATO Membership
Saturday, December 23, 2023
I saw an interesting article in the New York Times today regarding possible Russian interest in negotiating a peace deal with Kyiv.
As I discussed in a post last week, I think it would be foolish to let Putin off the hook by allowing him to declare victory in a war that's going so badly for Russia. I'd much rather see the Russian Army bleed out in eastern Ukraine than have it be in a position to recover and threaten Ukraine again in another few years. If the Ukrainians are willing to keep fighting, I think the US and its NATO allies should support them.
But what if the Ukrainian government were to consider a peace plan? What might it look like?
Arming Ukraine: Why it's in American Interests
Friday, December 15, 2023
Every GOP senator voted no this week on a supplemental funding bill that included money for Ukraine. The vote, which failed 49-51, required 60 supporters in order to pass. Republicans voting no mainly argued that they wanted the Biden administration to make concessions regarding US border policies before they would consider supporting the spending bill.
In fact, it seems likely that, eventually, the measure will pass and that aid to both Ukraine and Israel will continue. At the same time, however, the vote points to a worrying trend regarding the evolution of American thinking regarding the Russia-Ukraine war.
Nâzım Hikmet in Montreal
Friday, November 10, 2023
I recently got back from the annual Middle East Studies Association conference in Montreal. It was great. I went to university in Montreal and had only been back a couple of times since I graduated more than thirty years ago. This was my first visit since 2001.
Best of all, I had the chance to talk for a little while about my new book on Nâzım Hikmet, Red Star over the Black Sea: Nâzım Hikmet and his Generation. The hardcover is now selling for just $41. And if that's too rich for you, a paperback edition is due to come out by March of 2025.
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