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Also – Ukrainian beer is cheap and good
Just sayin. Reading the comments, I have to reflect on how much British readers don’t understand the way Ukrainian government works. When I say that “racism in Ukraine is no longer being swept under...
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Perhaps the gods will punish me for this column
But I really don’t see why Vladimir Medinsky is apparently The Most Horrible Person Of All Time. I was genuinely afraid that a genuinely polarizing figure such as Nikita Mikhalkov or Stanislav...
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Moscow. Jean-Jacques on Nikitsky
Snails. Gossip. Playwrights. Annoying actor types. The greatness and terriblness of power. Class anxiety and cheap wine. Or, in other words, a personal take on the famous (and, some would say, famously...
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Lev helped me report on today’s protest rally in downtown Moscow
The Left Front is too far… left to his taste. He did mention the need for rule of law, and expressed his disappointment with the fact that the Investigative Committee was actively denying the fact...
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A picture of Lev on a slide with daddy
It’s been a dark few days, personally and professionally. We did hold a wonderful debate at The Moscow News on the subject of Russia’s image abroad. You’d think this kind of event would be tense,...
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Giant hogweeds on the rampage, that one rape movie you should watch (if you...
I have been writing for your benefit, dear reader. This is for you – all for you. First of all, stay away from the freaky plants that look like Queen Anne’s lace that had been watered with bovine...
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I’m 28
I slept for about three hours, because Lev had what appeared to be food poisoning. I put out the paper today and bought cherries for the office. My colleagues repaid me with flowers and kisses – and a...
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Weekly writing round-up, featuring Pussy Riot, horror and my favorite bad...
“Abandon hope all ye who enter here.” You know what pisses me off the most about the courts? It’s the denial that surrounds them. President PM Medvedev can do a serious interview with a serious UK...
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If you speak about Russia with any sort of nuance
Most people will hate you. She said, and promptly got down off her cross.
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A non-statement on what is happening to RIA Novosti
In case you haven’t heard, RIA Novosti, the owner of The Moscow News, the paper that was the original reason for my move to Russia – the paper I currently run, that is – is being liquidated by...
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Darkness on the Edge of Moscow: an excerpt
This is an excerpt of a bigger work of fiction. The train paused briefly in the tunnel between the stations – a rare occurrence for the circle line. La leaned against the door, pressed right up...
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Darkness on the Edge of Moscow: excerpt 2
Previous excerpt here. “Do your friends actually call you La?” He tried and failed to stifle a laugh. “Close friends.” The label on the beer bottle would not come off no matter how hard she scraped at...
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Goodbye to The Moscow News: on riding off into the sunset yet again
“Again the well-worn saddle creaks, And the wind chills an old wound; Monsieur, where in the name of hell have you wound up? Can it be you can’t afford a bit of calm?” After nearly four years, I am...
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Why it sucks to be a journalist (and why people do it anyway)
In the West, the news is a commodity, a product. And the customer is always right. If you’re not giving the customer what they want – you’re usually screwed. In places like Russia, the news is more...
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If you like my poetry and stories, please consider donating
Dear subscribers, regular readers, and anyone who happens to be wandering by, I need your help. This blog features a lot of random updates, but there are also two sections that involve a lot of work:...
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His Sin, Her Soul: On Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita (republished from The Second...
Original publication date: MONDAY NOVEMBER 30TH, 2009. Republished with kind permission from John Williams. His Sin, Her Soul By Natalia Antonova Reviewed: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov The luster of...
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From Pavel Sheremet to Trumputin: my summer 2016 links for your reading pleasure
I don’t usually archive the links to the work I do elsewhere, but it’s been a long summer with few updates, and I thought you guys might like to take a look at a few of these anyway: An important...
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Good question alert: Can you be a “serious writer” while also just being...
The daughter of a friend is taking a summer journalism course, and one of her assignments was to interview “a journalist with international experience” about their “career choices and future goals.”...
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The Girl Who Went For a Ride: a tale of horror (maybe)
There once lived a girl who knew she was destined for great things, but great things were always taking too long to appear on her horizon. She bided her time with her husband, a street magician, and...
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