“[Lithium ion batteries are] the story of oil in the 21st century.” — Vital conversation between Nicolas Niarcohos and Novara Media's Aaron Bastani.
Also, an illuminating conversation on China between Jostein Hauge and Michael Walker.
“[Lithium ion batteries are] the story of oil in the 21st century.” — Vital conversation between Nicolas Niarcohos and Novara Media's Aaron Bastani.
Also, an illuminating conversation on China between Jostein Hauge and Michael Walker.
Humbled to see that THE SOLAR GRID has been getting a fair degree of scholarly interest in recent years. These two popped up on my radar:
Contingent Futures and the Time of Crisis: Ganzeer's Transmedial Narrative Art — by Dominic Davies for Literary Geographies, 2022
Climate Change and the Future of the City: Arabic science fiction as climate fiction in Egypt and Iraq — by Teresa Pepe for Fragile Ecologies: Environmental Urgency in the Arts and Literatures of the Middle East, 2023
INSURGENT THOUGHT: Downloadable library of digital books on philosophy, “anarchist shit”, mysticism, and more. Instant download for me despite my allergy to extensive screen-reading. Via Warren Ellis' latest ORBITAL OPERATIONS.
Also via Orbital Operations: THE NIGHTLY RADIO.
Also, also: L'IL FACTORY BOOKS!
PAPER BULLETS: 110 Years of Political Stickers from Around the World by Catherine Tedford, dropping December 2026 from PM Press.
The Bird by Ahmed Naji.
One of the highlights of the Manshur event I participated in a few days ago was the discovery of Zeina Maasari's stellar research project: Decolonizing the Page, which includes a superbly curated archive of gorgeously illustrated and/or designed Arabic books from the 1950s to 1980s, many of which I had never seen or even heard of before.
“The gates at 168 Isabella Avenue opened to a $13 million estate she’d bought in 2000, a figure she mentioned twice before we even parked. What she didn’t mention was the $5 million loan she’d taken after the tech crash or the $60,000 a month it cost just to keep the lights on. Like much in Roomy’s world, it was all show, punctuated by name drops about neighbors like Larry Ellison and Yahoo’s Carol Bartz. Inside, Roomy introduced me to her husband, Sakhawat. Far from the “deadbeat” she’d described, he was educated, seemingly successful, and attentive to their adopted daughter, though far less kind to the maid, Vilma, whose breaks he monitored with unsettling precision. I’d later learn she worked nearly ninety hours a week for $250 and would eventually sue them. The house was dotted with carefully arranged silk scarves and designer handbags, a curated display meant to signal wealth. I’ve learned that people who try that hard to show you how rich they are usually aren’t.”
From WIRED ON WALL STREET via CrimeReads.
AFAC announces new grant round under the banner Ecologies of Culture
Europe uses Iran as pawn in transatlantic power play — Responsible Statecraft
Egypt's Nato-style Arab defense force proposal rejected at Doha summit — Middle East Eye... “According to the senior official, the main disagreement was over leadership: Saudi Arabia wanted to take command, while Egypt argued it was best placed given its long military experience.”
Qatar requests Israeli apology to resume Gaza mediation efforts — Axios... Imagine getting attacked by another country and the best thing you can do is ask for an apology.
Israel has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, UN Commission Finds — OHCHR... No shit?
Gaza death toll passes 60,000 — AP
Comics and the Atomic Bomb from 1945-1955: Hank Kennedy for the Comics Journal
Welcome to the Turbulent Twenties: Jack Goldstone and Peter Turchin for Noema
Three Felonies a Day — A book by Harvey A. Silvergate
“Refugees alone, a tiny proportion of all immigrants to the U.S., produced $124 billion in net tax revenue between 2005 and 2019, Moorehead noted in her piece on Liberian refugees. As of January, the U.S. no longer resettles refugees; as of this fall, refugees living in the U.S. will no longer be eligible for Medicaid.” — Nathaniel Popkin
“You can’t Instagram your way into belonging; it requires choosing deliberate entanglement over endless optionality, again and again.” — Kai for DENSE DISCOVERY
“There is happy, and there is polite, and they look very different. Polite has a mechanical quality to it, like carrying out all the right movements to replace batteries in a remote. Happy has a boundless quality: unpredictable, even when it is at a low level.” — Shani Zhang writes 21 Observations From People Watching for SKIN CONTACT
“It does no good to complain about the weather.” — Tony Gilroy interviewed by Ross Douthat for the NYT
“Then they kill all the people.” — Daniel Kokotajlo interviewed by Ross Douthat for the NYT
Grants, residencies, and open calls for artists:
Stochastic Labs Residencies – SF Bay Area
The Awesome Foundation Grant — $1000 micro grants
Sharjah Art Foundation Residency Program — Sharjah, UAE
McColl Center Residency — Charlotte, NC
Princeton Hodder Fellowship — Princeton, NJ
Princeton Arts Fellowship — Princeton, NJ
Macdowell Residency — Peterborough, NH
Edgar Heap of Birds Family Artist Residency — Philadelphia, PA
Vermont Studio Center Residency — Johnson, VT
Hayama Artist Residency — Hayama, JP