Gaydamaka Anatoly Vasilievich: An artist that believed in...
1
37 Gaydamaka Anatoly Vasilievich: An artist that believed in Ukraine’s Independence WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 Chinese artist’s Ai Weiwei work ‘He Xie’ is pictured during a press preview at the Royal Academy in London yesterday, ahead of the opening of a major exhibition of his work. The exhibition runs from September 19 to December 13, 2015. — AFP Fans flock to honour queen of crime fiction Agatha Christie A gatha Christie fans have descended on her hometown of Torquay on the English Riviera for the 125th anniversary of the murder master’s birth yesterday as the crime novel enjoys a glob- al revival. Simplicity is the key to her enduring popularity, said Christie’s only grandson Mathew Prichard, who has been the chief custodian of her work since the queen of crime fiction died in 1976. “My grandmother wrote books to entertain people,” he said. “She liked the thought of them enjoying them if maybe they’re in hospital or on a long train journey. I think this was the beginning of it all.” A century on the novels continue to sell by the millions and Torquay, a genteel Devon seaside resort, is hop- ing to harness their universal popularity even though the novels have lit- tle in common with today’s thrillers. Christie’s works hark back to a bygone era in the first half of the 20th century when murder most foul was often committed with old-fash- ioned poisons. John Curran, an expert on the novels and author of “Agatha Christie’s Secret Notebooks”, said the books can be devoured by children and academics with the same pleasure. A learned mix of ama- teurs and specialists attended a series of lectures and conferences in Torquay aiming at dissecting the novelist’s work and life. Delegates engrossed themselves in Christie’s intimate world, exchanging views over tea, dinners with white tablecloths and butlers, or in flower gardens that could have come straight from her stories. All that was missing was the customary corpse. Picture-postcard nostalgia Around 100 events have been organized and thousands of people from the world over are attending, said Pam Beddard, head of communi- cations for the festival. At one event, expert Kathryn Harkup will describe the poisons used by Christie, and why it was the author’s favorite method of killing off her characters. “Because of her background as trainee at a dispensery she knew a lot about lots and lots of different potions,” said Harkup, a chemist and author of “A is for Arsenic”, a study of Christie’s poisons. French writer and editor Anne Martinetti will look at the recipes and dishes that appear in the novels, which often feature marmalade, scones and pies. Curran will explain how home-schooled Christie’s storytelling evolved over the course of five decades. “This woman who never went to school is the biggest selling and most translated writer of all time,” said Curran. Christie wrote no fewer than 80 books, which are continually adapted for the cinema and television. “In the UK, every night there is an Agatha Christie somewhere on some channel. That of course is a factor in her continuing popularity,” he added. TV dramas featuring the moustachioed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot or the wise spinster Miss Marple have brought Christie to a new generation. With their dinner parties, operas, and trips on the Orient Express, the adaptations offer a glimpse of a picture-postcard world of English high society, a world that continues to delight Christie fans worldwide. — AFP F rom ridiculing warlords to pok- ing fun at the political elite, a crop of covertly run Afghan satirical outlets are resonating widely with disenchanted citizens-and pro- voking the ire of officials. Afghanistan’s spy agency last month rounded up journalists suspected of running “Kabul Taxi”, accusing the satirical Facebook page of imperiling national security. The crackdown, which catapulted the little-known page to fame, triggered outrage and defiant Internet memes such as “I am Kabul Taxi!” spotlighting a new gen- eration of clandestine political satirists. A blend of humor and scathing wit, the page launched by an unknown Afghan in April depicted a yellow Toyota taxi with its motto scrawled on its rear windscreen: “Life is bitter and the future uncertain”. It tapped into widespread angst over corruption and political dysfunction. Posts depicted high-profile politi- cians and bureaucrats squeezing into the back seat and descending into petty bickering and mocking conver- sations. Passengers have included President Ashraf Ghani and his ally in the national unity government, Abdullah Abdullah. But the Facebook page invited trouble when it targeted Hanif Atmar, the powerful national security adviser. A Kabul Taxi post describes picking up Atmar and his 27 children, who are intro- duced as part of an oversized entourage of advisers hired on hefty salaries. The post mocks a recruitment process seen by Afghans as nepotis- tic and prone to favoritism. Atmar was not amused, ordering the grilling of journalists rumored to be behind Kabul Taxi on suspicion of exposing state secrets by naming his advisers. Defenders in the Afghan media pointed out the names of Atmar’s staff were already posted on a gov- ernment Facebook page-along with their photos. “The government con- siders satire as terrorism,” Kabul Taxi wrote in the aftermath of the contro- versy, which sent its fan base soaring with the number of “likes” nearly dou- bling to 60,000 and provoking an outpouring of public support before it was suddenly taken down. “The Afghan National Security Council (NSC) should be chasing sui- cide bombers, not the driver of a taxi,” wrote one Facebook user. Efforts to apprehend the page administrator incited an outpouring of ridicule for Atmar. One animated video on Facebook shows him chasing a taxi, which mischievously lurches forward every time he tries to get in. ‘Eagle eye’ The booming genre of political satire has a special place in Afghanistan, where all major prob- lems plaguing the country-militancy, warlordism and corruption-seem linked to what many describe as the venality of politics. Politicians are widely berated as insincere, power hungry and concerned only about the welfare of their own ethnic groups. “The role of satire in Afghanistan is to keep influential people, especially politicians, on their toes,” said a co-founder of Afghan Onion, a new English-language satiri- cal website that pays tribute to the US website of the same name. “It is to make them aware that they are being watched with an eagle eye-if not by corrupt authorities then by the public who can expose them,” the anonymous co-founder told AFP. But the crackdown on Kabul Taxi has raised concerns over free speech in Afghanistan, which ranks 122nd out of 180 countries in the 2015 Reporters Without Borders press free- dom index. Human Rights Watch has documented increasing intimidation and violence against the Afghan media over the past two years as international support wanes amid a drawdown of foreign troops. But political satire will thrive despite the risks, said Jalal Noorani, author of a forthcoming book “Art of Satire”. “Satire has survived the rigours of time. It survived the Taliban, the mujahideen, the civil war,” Noorani, 66, told AFP. “You can try to restrict satirists, even imprison them, but you cannot stop the flow of satire,” he said. “The post-Taliban era is... a golden age of bold, fearless satire.” But Masouda Khazan Tokhi, the editor of a satirical monthly called Achar Kharboza (Melon Pickle), says she has fielded threatening calls even for benign posts mocking the sartorial choices of some politicians. The co-founder of Afghan Onion said running a satirical site is a “cal- culated risk”, but no one is off-lim- its to mockery and ridicule. After insurgents brazenly stormed a prison this week, freeing dozens of Taliban inmates, the site posted: “(Atmar’s) NSC claims they are chasing the Taliban escapees in Kabul Taxi.” — AFP This picture taken in March 1946 shows British author Agatha Christie, in her home, Greenway House, in Devonshire. — AFP A street car named satire: ‘Kabul Taxi’ lampoons Afghanistan An Afghan man browses the Taxi website at an internet cafe in Kabul. — AFP Afghan woman satire Masouda Khazan Tokhi 39, displays cartoon papers inside of her home in Kabul. Afghan woman satire Masouda Khazan Tokhi 39, types satirical pieces on a computer at inside of her home in Kabul.
Transcript of Gaydamaka Anatoly Vasilievich: An artist that believed in...
37Gaydamaka Anatoly Vasilievich:
An artist that believed inUkraine’s Independence
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015
Chinese artist’s Ai Weiwei work ‘He Xie’ is pictured during a press preview at the Royal Academy in London yesterday, ahead of the opening of a major exhibition of his work. The exhibition runs from September 19 to December 13, 2015. — AFP
Fans flock to honourqueen of crime fiction
Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie fans have descended on her hometown ofTorquay on the English Riviera for the 125th anniversary of themurder master’s birth yesterday as the crime novel enjoys a glob-
al revival. Simplicity is the key to her enduring popularity, said Christie’sonly grandson Mathew Prichard, who has been the chief custodian ofher work since the queen of crime fiction died in 1976. “My grandmotherwrote books to entertain people,” he said. “She liked the thought of themenjoying them if maybe they’re in hospital or on a long train journey. Ithink this was the beginning of it all.” A century on the novels continue tosell by the millions and Torquay, a genteel Devon seaside resort, is hop-ing to harness their universal popularity even though the novels have lit-tle in common with today’s thrillers.
Christie’s works hark back to a bygone era in the first half of the 20thcentury when murder most foul was often committed with old-fash-ioned poisons. John Curran, an expert on the novels and author of“Agatha Christie’s Secret Notebooks”, said the books can be devoured bychildren and academics with the same pleasure. A learned mix of ama-teurs and specialists attended a series of lectures and conferences inTorquay aiming at dissecting the novelist’s work and life. Delegatesengrossed themselves in Christie’s intimate world, exchanging viewsover tea, dinners with white tablecloths and butlers, or in flower gardensthat could have come straight from her stories. All that was missing wasthe customary corpse.
Picture-postcard nostalgia Around 100 events have been organized and thousands of people
from the world over are attending, said Pam Beddard, head of communi-cations for the festival. At one event, expert Kathryn Harkup will describethe poisons used by Christie, and why it was the author’s favoritemethod of killing off her characters. “Because of her background astrainee at a dispensery she knew a lot about lots and lots of differentpotions,” said Harkup, a chemist and author of “A is for Arsenic”, a study ofChristie’s poisons. French writer and editor Anne Martinetti will look atthe recipes and dishes that appear in the novels, which often featuremarmalade, scones and pies.
Curran will explain how home-schooled Christie’s storytelling evolvedover the course of five decades. “This woman who never went to schoolis the biggest selling and most translated writer of all time,” said Curran.Christie wrote no fewer than 80 books, which are continually adapted forthe cinema and television. “In the UK, every night there is an AgathaChristie somewhere on some channel. That of course is a factor in hercontinuing popularity,” he added.
TV dramas featuring the moustachioed Belgian detective HerculePoirot or the wise spinster Miss Marple have brought Christie to a newgeneration. With their dinner parties, operas, and trips on the OrientExpress, the adaptations offer a glimpse of a picture-postcard world ofEnglish high society, a world that continues to delight Christie fansworldwide. — AFP
From ridiculing warlords to pok-ing fun at the political elite, acrop of covertly run Afghan
satirical outlets are resonating widelywith disenchanted citizens-and pro-voking the ire of officials.Afghanistan’s spy agency last monthrounded up journalists suspected ofrunning “Kabul Taxi”, accusing thesatirical Facebook page of imperilingnational security. The crackdown,which catapulted the little-knownpage to fame, triggered outrage anddefiant Internet memes such as “I amKabul Taxi!” spotlighting a new gen-eration of clandestine politicalsatirists.
A blend of humor and scathingwit, the page launched by anunknown Afghan in April depicted ayellow Toyota taxi with its mottoscrawled on its rear windscreen: “Lifeis bitter and the future uncertain”. Ittapped into widespread angst overcorruption and political dysfunction.Posts depicted high-profile politi-cians and bureaucrats squeezing intothe back seat and descending intopetty bickering and mocking conver-sations.
Passengers have includedPresident Ashraf Ghani and his ally inthe national unity government,Abdullah Abdullah. But theFacebook page invited trouble whenit targeted Hanif Atmar, the powerfulnational security adviser. A KabulTaxi post describes picking up Atmarand his 27 children, who are intro-duced as part of an oversizedentourage of advisers hired on heftysalaries.
The post mocks a recruitmentprocess seen by Afghans as nepotis-tic and prone to favoritism. Atmarwas not amused, ordering the grillingof journalists rumored to be behindKabul Taxi on suspicion of exposingstate secrets by naming his advisers.Defenders in the Afghan mediapointed out the names of Atmar’sstaff were already posted on a gov-ernment Facebook page-along withtheir photos. “The government con-siders satire as terrorism,” Kabul Taxiwrote in the aftermath of the contro-versy, which sent its fan base soaringwith the number of “likes” nearly dou-bling to 60,000 and provoking anoutpouring of public support beforeit was suddenly taken down.
“The Afghan National SecurityCouncil (NSC) should be chasing sui-cide bombers, not the driver of a taxi,”wrote one Facebook user. Efforts toapprehend the page administratorincited an outpouring of ridicule forAtmar. One animated video onFacebook shows him chasing a taxi,which mischievously lurches forwardevery time he tries to get in.
‘Eagle eye’ The booming genre of political
satire has a special place inAfghanistan, where all major prob-lems plaguing the country-militancy,warlordism and corruption-seemlinked to what many describe as thevenality of politics. Politicians arewidely berated as insincere, powerhungry and concerned only aboutthe welfare of their own ethnicgroups. “The role of satire inAfghanistan is to keep influentialpeople, especially politicians, on theirtoes,” said a co-founder of AfghanOnion, a new English-language satiri-cal website that pays tribute to theUS website of the same name.
“It is to make them aware thatthey are being watched with an eagleeye-if not by corrupt authorities thenby the public who can expose them,”the anonymous co-founder told AFP.
But the crackdown on Kabul Taxihas raised concerns over free speechin Afghanistan, which ranks 122ndout of 180 countries in the 2015Reporters Without Borders press free-dom index. Human Rights Watch hasdocumented increasing intimidationand violence against the Afghanmedia over the past two years asinternational support wanes amid adrawdown of foreign troops.
But political satire will thrivedespite the risks, said Jalal Noorani,author of a forthcoming book “Art ofSatire”. “Satire has survived therigours of time. It survived theTaliban, the mujahideen, the civilwar,” Noorani, 66, told AFP. “You cantry to restrict satirists, even imprisonthem, but you cannot stop the flowof satire,” he said. “The post-Talibanera is... a golden age of bold, fearlesssatire.” But Masouda Khazan Tokhi,the editor of a satirical monthlycalled Achar Kharboza (Melon Pickle),says she has fielded threatening callseven for benign posts mocking thesartorial choices of some politicians.
The co-founder of Afghan Onionsaid running a satirical site is a “cal-culated risk”, but no one is off-lim-its to mockery and ridicule. Afterinsurgents brazenly stormed aprison this week, freeing dozens ofTaliban inmates, the site posted:“(Atmar’s) NSC claims they arechasing the Taliban escapees inKabul Taxi.” — AFP
This picture taken in March 1946 shows British author AgathaChristie, in her home, Greenway House, in Devonshire. — AFP
A street car named satire: ‘KabulTaxi’ lampoons Afghanistan
An Afghan man browses the Taxi website at an internet cafe in Kabul. — AFP
Afghan woman satire Masouda Khazan Tokhi 39, displays cartoon papers inside of herhome in Kabul.
Afghan woman satire Masouda Khazan Tokhi 39, types satirical pieces on a computer atinside of her home in Kabul.
