Review: The Zhivago Affair: The Kremlin, the CIA, and the Battle Over a Forbidden Book
Nadezhda Mandelstam, widow of the Russian poet Osip Mandelstam, once noted a “remarkable feature” common to Soviet leaders: “their boundless, almost superstitious respect for
Review: Foligatto by Nicolas de Crécy and Alexios Tjoyas
There are not many comics which feature bloated, castrated opera singers as the lead character. In fact, it’s quite possible that there’s only one: Foligatto, by writer Alexios
Dictator Lit: The Poetry of Ayatollah Khomeini
Perhaps the most famous literary critic of the 20th century, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (1902-1989) was renowned for his vehement loathing of the work of Salman Rushdie. Indeed, t
Incidents in the Night by David B.
Last year Uncivilized Books expanded our knowledge of the enigmatic oeuvre of French cartoonist David B. by releasingIncidents in the Night. Although it is the most recent of David
The Curious Russian Afterlife of Steven Seagal
A Kalder klassik, to coincide with Seagal’s announcement he plans to run for governor of Arizona Long, long ago—for about 15 minutes—Steven Seagal was a big deal in Holly
For Instant Christmas Spirit, Blow Here
A Seasonal Kalder Klassik: Four years ago, I spent Christmas in Texas for the first time. Shortly beforehand I’d been driving around in the desert out West, and I have vivid memo
Does Putin’s New Literary Assembly Bode ill for Russian Writers?
Pushkin: Not a Belgian Russia has a long history of revering writers; it also has a long history of censoring, exiling, corrupting and, on occasion, killing writers. The Tsarist a
Review: Karl Marx: A Nineteenth Century Life by Jonathan Sperber
In his introduction to Karl Marx: A Nineteenth Century Life, Jonathan Sperber stresses that he doesn’t believe Marx was a prophet or that he has much to say to our age at all. H
Russia Bans the Koran
While Geert Wilders and assorted online provocateurs may like to talk about banning the Koran as an extremist text, few take the idea seriously. Well, except in Russia perhaps, whe
Review: Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Pietrolino
Alejandro Jodorowsky is one of the most unique creators in comics, drawing upon a biography, range of interests, and incredibly fertile imagination that makes him truly inimitable.