The Monday Mix (17/07/2023)
Hi friends,
I forgot to send out an email last week. It slipped my mind and I only remembered a few days later. Apologies, but it’s back this week with some more links and reading recommendations.
Talking of which, I’ll send out my reading list for June at some point this week too. Here’s what I want to share this week:
Victoria Amelina: Ukraine and the Meaning of Home
An important and heartbreaking read from the journalist Victoria Amelina who was recently killed in a shelling by Russian forces. This piece is interesting because Victoria talks about what it was like to grow up in a Ukraine which recently acquired its freedom but was still heavily influenced by Russia. This is evident by how many Ukrainians speak Russian as their primary language, of whom Zelensky is one.
The fight for freedom from Russia goes much deeper than just land for Ukraine and this article hammers that home.
Class and Its Lingering Influence
Class is a big part of life in the UK, even though it’s 2023. The class system is a relic of the Victorian era but like much from that era, it’s been hard to shake. Cultural attitudes run deep and that’s why I found this piece by the author Megan Nolan interesting. She grew up in Ireland, where the class system isn’t as pronounced as in the UK, but is still there. Her experiences are different from mine and explain how ingrained the system is here and how that can be alienating for a lot of people.
Oppenheimer
With the Christopher Nolan film about Oppenheimer due to be released this week, a lot of people will be scrambling to find out more about the man who led the Manhattan Project. The secret plot to build an atomic bomb. Oppenheimer is an interesting figure and this piece does a good job of telling his story. If you’re off to watch the film this week, read this before you do!
Music
Thought I’d share one of my favourite bands today, Tame Impala. This is my favourite song of theirs, it’s a bit long and a bit wacky, but it’s worth sticking with for the guitar solo at the end!
Book I’m reading - Stalingrad by Antony Beevor
Stalingrad was one of the most influential battles in the Second World War, the bloodiest and the psychological turning point. Despite a degree in history, I don’t know an awful lot about the battle, so I bought this book a while back to learn more. It’s fascinating so far, and bewildering just how paranoid Stalin was and how deluded Hitler was. If you’re interested in the Second World War, this is a book you have to read!
Quote I’m pondering: – “I put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process.” - Vincent Van Gogh
That’s all for this week.
Until next time,
Tom