Władysław Szpilman (December 5, 1911 – July 6, 2000) was a Polish pianist, a classical composer, and a Jew who survived the Holocaust. He was also the subject of one of my favorite films, The Pianist. Directed by Roman Polanski, the 2002 film is based on Szpilman’s autobiography and shows us his life in Warsaw […]
Thoughts On How To Use Ballistic Missiles
In a more perfect world, more countries would have ballistic missiles, but they’d only use them to send meaningful messages written on biodegradable confetti paper to the population of other nations. So, for example, on Eid al-Adha, Saudi Arabia might fire one at Dearborn, Michigan with a bunch of messages that say things like, “May […]
A Calm Evening In A Turbulent City (Diyarbakir, Turkey)
Seen from the moon, Diyarbakir must look small, like every other city on Earth must look small. Located in southeastern Turkey, a little more than 900 miles from Istanbul, the ancient heart of Diyarbakir has a wall around it — a relatively famous wall in fact, as far as city walls go. It stretches 5.8 […]
Before Disembarking, They Gave Me Chicken, Bread, And Cheese
Out the window, on the train traveling from Luxor to Cairo, civilization looked tired. Palm trees were brown with dust, and litter floated in canals. Crosses and crescents rose above neighborhoods of broken, mud-brick walls, and it was impossible not to think of the tension between Christianity and Islam here. Donkeys trod past machines in […]