Comment, Prose

Realism Resurgent: Lessons from Ukraine

by Anna Bartlett In 2023 there are more state-based conflicts than in any other year since the end of World War Two. Is this a return to realism or a signal of a new era of conflict? One of the oldest approaches to global politics, realism in international relations highlights the primacy of state self […]

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Editorial, Prose

A Word from the Editors: Realism

by Siddiq Islam REALISM – late 18th century:
from real + -ism, after German Realismus Realism is humans’ attempt at capturing the world around them in a ‘realistic’ way. The word applies itself in many contexts, from the art world, where painters try to depict natural objects as accurately as possible rather than the more symbolic […]

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Poetry

Performative Self-Contradiction

by Vittorio P. Cuneo-Flood Darst thou accuse me of being a fool,
If I hold to the truth: ’tis the same for us all.
The gall! The cheek! That you would dare say:
We live in a lie so there isn’t a way. Nay, I do not mind to disagree,
But I can’t accept, that you are free
To say […]

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Poetry

Soldier’s Breakfast

by Siddiq Islam Pile up a few more eggs onto my plate.
They lie there slopped among the ample meats.
Another meal the same and never late,
The yolks devoured. On my brute mouth eats.
The camp is calm and peaceful, full of hate.
How lovely next to bombed, imprisoned streets.
What separates is nothing but a gate,
My army and the […]

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Culture, Music, Music score, Prose

Realism Unleashed:
Sonic Choreography

by Alessandro MacKinnon-Botti Embrace sonic realism through Sonic Choreography: use your body’s movements to create a living auditory canvas that captures the everyday. Sonic Choreography is an innovative way to express everyday realism. Your visual map becomes a musical score, translating the everyday into a unique auditory performance. For instance, once the idea has been […]

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Poetry, Translation

乡愁 / Homesickness

by 席慕蓉 (Xi Murong), translated by Yu Yan 故乡的歌是一支清远的笛 总在有月亮的晚上响起 故乡的面貌却是一种模糊的怅惘 仿佛雾里的挥手别离 离别后 乡愁是一棵没有年轮的树 永不老去 Songs from my hometown are the
silvery tinkling of a bamboo flute, always heard on the moon-adorned night. The landscape of my hometown,
however, is the vagueness of a dejection, as if waving goodbye to me in a fog. After we part, […]

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