Arts & Literature, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Nov 8, 2023

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Country Life Magazine – November 8, 2023: The latest issue features The King’s milestone celebration, Amie Elizabeth White reveals 75 fascinating things you may not know about Charles III; Exclusive access to St James’s Palace in London; the British passion for country-house portraits; the astonishing hidden gardens of bohemian Tangier in Morocco and more….

We can be rural heroes

Julie Harding meets a model, a comedian, a farmer, a hedge-layer and a former retail boss, all united in their praise for The King’s Royal Countryside Fund

A nursery palace

Simon Thurley chronicles the remarkable story of the modern home of the Court, as Country Life is afforded exclusive access to St James’s Palace in London

Elegy in a country churchyard

War memorials on British soil are a poignant means of ‘bringing home’ those who fell in foreign fields, reveals Andrew Green

A right royal ruff

The regal King Charles spaniel once won favour with the nobility — and owners are still falling for this loving and loyal breed, as Katy Birchall discovers

Martha Lytton Cobbold’s favourite painting

The Historic Houses president chooses a captivating work that proved to be an inspiration for her love of art and structure

Native breeds

Sheep are an instrinsic feature of the Welsh landscape — Kate Green introduces the breeds that populate the principality

Home is where the art is

Michael Prodger investigates the British passion for country-house portraits, a craze that started back in the 16th century and shows little sign of abating

Interiors

Arabella Youens marvels at the transformation of an Edwardian sitting room, as Giles Kime revels in the luxury of a daybed

Tangerine dreams

Kirsty Fergusson explores the astonishing hidden gardens of bohemian Tangier in Morocco

It’s only natural

Turning woodland finds into art is a labour of love for Jane Bevan, discovers Natasha Goodfellow

Still standing after all these years

A 188-year-old avenue of beech trees forms a guard of honour for Fiona Reynolds in Dorset

Turbot-charged

Nothing less than perfection will do for Tom Parker Bowles as he savours the most regal of fish

A bundle of energy

Could hydrogen-powered cars be the future? Jane Wheatley motors to Wales to investigate

The good stuff

Hetty Lintell seeks a bit of fluff from some feathery confections

Dare to be square

Mary Miers meets the talented craftspeople reinventing the ancient art of mosaic making

And much more

News, Podcasts, Politics, Stories

News: Israel-Hamas War Deadly For Journalists, US-Southeast Asia Focus

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The Globalist Podcast (November 7, 2023) – Fiona O’Brien, UK bureau director for Reporters Without Borders, explains how the conflict in Israel and Gaza has been the deadliest for journalists.

Also, the US keeps its laser-sharp focus in Southeast Asia, an update on Poland’s future government and the luxury market leaves China for India.

News, Newspapers, Views

The New York Times — Tuesday, November 7, 2023

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Israel Says It Has Split Gaza Strip in Two in Drive to Isolate Hamas’s Leadership

Smoke rising in Gaza City on Monday after Israeli strikes.

Israel’s military surrounded Gaza City as the enclave plunged into another communications blackout, sowing panic among relatives fearful of the fate of loved ones who remain there.

Trump Indictments Haven’t Sunk His Campaign, but a Conviction Might

Polls by The New York Times and Siena College show his strength in key swing states, in part because of concerns about President Biden’s age. But a conviction could be the difference in 2024.

Tech Start-Ups Try to Sell a Cautious Pentagon on A.I.

Shield AI, a tech start-up, already has a drone run by artificial intelligence being used by the Israeli military. But persuading the Pentagon to embrace the technology remains a big challenge.

Trump Assails Judge and Concedes a Role in Valuing His Empire’s Property

The former president, who also railed against New York’s attorney general in front of a packed courtroom, denied he committed fraud and called the trial “very unfair.”

Art, Art Galleries, Arts & Literature, Collections, Reviews, Videos

Art Collection Tours: ‘Living The Avant-Garde’

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Phillips Art Auction House (November 6, 2023) – In this four-part series, Jean-Paul Engelen — Phillips’ President, Americas and Worldwide Co-Head of 20th Century & Contemporary Art — and Miety Heiden — Deputy Chairwoman and Head of Private Sales — explore what makes ‘Living the Avant-Garde: The Triton Collection Foundation’ so unique.

Living the Avant-Garde: The Triton Collection Foundation New York

On View in New York through 14 November

Wassily Kandinsky – Entwurf zu Komposition IV

Adventure, Arts & Literature, Photography, Profiles, Travel, Videos

National Geographic: One Week With Photographer Taylor Pendleton In Peru

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graincheck Films (November 2023) – Photographer and director Taylor Pendleton traveled to Peru for one week to shoot photos for National Geographic. This video chronicles her experiences and impressions.

Arts & Literature, Essays, Fiction, Journals, Poetry

Essays, Poetry & Fiction: Deep Wild Journal 2023

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Deep Wild Journal 2023 – Writing from the Backcountry: On skis and snowshoes, by boot and boat, in open water or at the ends of ropes, by night or day, in all four seasons, in searing sun or drenching rain…the adventurer-writers whose work is featured in Deep Wild 2023 take us to all extremes.

Others come to us from a quiet place in the backcountry with their insights, observations, discoveries. Also featured in Deep Wild 2023 is full-color artwork by Tucson watercolorist Kat Manton-Jones and a portfolio of pen-and-ink drawings from the Colorado Plateau by Margaret Pettis.

Deep Wild 2023: Foreword and Contents

Architecture, Homes, Tours, Travel, Videos, Views

Italy Views: Tour Of Villa Monastero On Lake Como

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VIRTUAL TOUR Films (November 6, 2023) – Villa Monastero is located in Varenna, Province of Lecco, on the shore of Lake Como. The villa lies south of the village, halfway between Varenna and Fiumelatte, and includes a botanical garden, a museum, and a convention center.

The villa hosts summer courses for the “Enrico Fermi” International School of Physics, and has heard lectures by more than thirty-four Nobel Laureates.

Villa Monastero is an eclectic villa built in the Nordic style. The site was originally a Cistercian convent, founded at the end of the 12th century in Varenna, which now lies beneath the modern building. The convent grew in importance and wealth, purchasing many properties, especially around Lierna, but eventually declined to only six mothers, and was closed by papal bull in 1567.

The whole estate was purchased by Paolo Mornico in 1569, using his fortune amassed through iron mining in Valsassinia. In the 17th century the Mornico family incrementally rebuilt and decorated it in the eclectic style.

Arts & Literature, Culture, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Reviews

Previews: The New Yorker Magazine – Nov 13, 2023

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Two people under a red umbrella walking in the rain near the Brooklyn Bridge.

The New Yorker – November 13, 2023 issue: The new issue‘s cover features Kadir Nelson’s “Dumbo” – The artist discusses the seasonal energy of the city, and his sources of inspiration.

Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” Complex

Ridley Scott photographed by Christopher Anderson.

Does the director of “Alien,” “Blade Runner,” and “Gladiator” see himself in the hero of his epic new film?

By Michael Schulman

On the morning of the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon Bonaparte was full of catastrophic confidence. His seventy-three thousand troops were camped on a ridge near a tavern called La Belle Alliance. His nemesis, the Duke of Wellington, occupied a slope across the fields, with a mere sixty-seven thousand troops. Over breakfast, Napoleon predicted, “If my orders are well executed, we will sleep in Brussels this evening.” When his chief of staff offered a word of caution, Napoleon snapped, “Wellington is a bad general and the English are bad troops. The whole affair will not be more serious than swallowing one’s breakfast.”

How Can Determinists Believe in Free Will?

By Nikhil Krishnan

Some people think that we can’t be held responsible for what we do, given that our actions are the inevitable consequence of the laws of nature. They’re only half right.

Eclipsed in his Era, Bayard Rustin Gets to Shine in Ours

The civil-rights mastermind was sidelined by his own movement. Now he’s back in the spotlight. What can we learn from his strategies of resistance?

By Adam Gopnik

Reinventing the Dinosaur “

Life on Our Planet,” a new Netflix nature documentary, renews our fascination with our most feared and loved precursors.

By Rivka Galchen

News, Podcasts, Politics, Stories

News: Israel-Hamas War Tensions, Lebanon Border, Gaza City Now Encircled

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The Globalist Podcast (November 6, 2023) – Israel-Hamas conflict tensions flare at Israel’s northern border with Lebanon; the experience of medics working under bombardment in Gaza; a look at the papers with journalist Vincent McAviney; and Joe Biden’s unexpected challenger.

Plus: we look ahead to Cop 28, hear the headlines from the Balkans and find out about a bevy of new K-pop boy bands.

News, Newspapers, Views

The New York Times — Monday, November 6, 2023

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Trump Leads in 5 Critical States as Voters Blast Biden, Times/Siena Poll Finds

Voters in battleground states said they trusted Donald J. Trump over President Biden on the economy, foreign policy and immigration, as Mr. Biden’s multiracial base shows signs of fraying.

U.S. Officials Fear American Guns Ordered by Israel Could Fuel West Bank Violence

“Guns in the right hands save lives!” said Israel’s minister for national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, center.

Israel wants 24,000 assault rifles. Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right minister overseeing the police, has given rifles to civilians and is forming “security squads.”