Brinkmanship and Backlash
How Ukrainians live with ongoing war, what truckers want, why the left wing needs science fiction, and more
February 24, 2022
In this week’s issue of Public Seminar . . .
Ukraine
“‘The idea of Kyiv being invaded, with tanks and aviation—it’s like preparing for an apocalypse,’ my friend Katya says, as I talk to her over the phone, telling her about my conversation with the foreign producer. Maybe she had packed herself a bag? No, she hadn’t. ‘There’s no way you can prepare for it.’” Angelina Kariakina describes the daily reality of Ukrainians trying to stay calm in the face of war. (February 23, 2022)
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Revising the Future
A world in crisis has captured our imagination and inhibits us from dreaming, Lina Nasr El Hag Ali writes. Could literature help us change this storyline? “Science fiction should be understood as an arena where competing narratives of the present allow us to reimagine the past and future and allow us to imagine alternatives for action.” (February 22, 2022)
Letter from Prison
“It’s funny, these are prison ants—no, they’re tougher than that—they’re supermax ants. That is, they differ from ants anywhere else. They exist under the glaring artificial light that pervades this place, and have never known the natural light of day nor felt the warmth of the sun. Yet it doesn’t seem to affect them. They continue with their ant business, as if that is all there is to do. They’re able to survive despite the circumstance. Yes, this is why I take care of them.” Incarcerated writer Arthur Longworth shares an account of solitary confinement. (February 23, 2022)
COVID and Its Discontents
In Canada, a convoy of truckers objecting to COVID-19 mitigation protocols grew into an 8,000-person protest. The Past Present podcast unpacks what happened. (February 22, 2022)
And in Germany, the philosopher Jürgen Habermas launched einen gewaltigen Wirbel (a huge brouhaha) by arguing that the government’s pandemic safety measures didn’t go far enough. Peter J. Verovšek dissects the argument—and accusations—that ensued. (February 23, 2022)