Tag: Featured

We Sang Our Way to Freedom: The Singing Revolution of Estonia

29 April 2022

As part of our online book club, ‘Travel Europe Through Books,’ we’ve been reading The Last Train From Estonia, the harrowing personal story of Jaak Jurison. In it he describes his experiences, first growing up in peaceful Estonia, then witnessing first-hand the Soviet invasion, purges, and censorship in Estonia that coincided with the Second World … More We Sang Our Way to Freedom: The Singing Revolution of Estonia

Introduction to Finland in 5 Books

18 February 2022

Perhaps because of its pristine landscape, or the tendency of its residents toward verbal restraint, Finland has an understated national character that has kept generally out of the international limelight. However, this largely forested country has much to offer in the way of culture and literature. Its language has developed since ancient times, and now represents a growing literary entity on the world stage. … More Introduction to Finland in 5 Books

No Man is an Island

10 February 2022

Communal wisdom states that “no man is an island,” but that is certainly not due to a lack of some of us trying to become one. Seppo Kemppainnen, the reluctant anti-hero in the new short story The Lucky Finn by VM Karren, is a master at burning the bridges that connect his island to anybody or anything else. Seppo’s only goal in life is to remain an island of solitude but finds luck conspiring against him, bringing him undesired good fortune…and too many neighbors!  … More No Man is an Island

A Sampling of Sardines

22 January 2022

Two years ago, during his last trip to Lisbon, Val made the following social media post: “TODAY in Lisbon: An amusement park for canned sardines. (This is not a joke!) “I came across this unusual shop, ‘O Mundo Fantastico da Sardinha Portuguese,’ which literally means ‘The Fantastic World of Portuguese Sardines.’ It’s located on one … More A Sampling of Sardines

The NEW YEAR of FATE

13 January 2022

The New Year of Fate is measured in the beats of the heart and love gained and lost.

For anybody dissatisfied with the current calendar regulated by our orbit around the sun, there is the new Calendar of Fate, which starts on February 14th, and runs through February 13th. Sound interesting? Read on! … More The NEW YEAR of FATE

In Memory of Liberty -Part 2: Ukraine

1 January 2022

Eight years ago, Ukraine was a country on the brink of losing its hard won independence, due to the treachery of its President. The corrupt political class that controlled the government quickly reversed decades of progressive political reforms in two years time. Bad habits of government officials, learned during seventy years of communism, proved harder … More In Memory of Liberty -Part 2: Ukraine