"The liberal belief that decent states must avoid prescriptive visions of the good is historically exceptional." Really looking forward to sharing the stage with Alexandre Lefebvre who wrote this essay in The Guardian:

Across the world authoritarians want to tell us what a ‘good life’ looks like. Here’s how liberals must respond | Alexandre Lefebvre

From Maga to Hungary’s Fidesz and Australia’s One Nation, politics is returning to its oldest question: what makes a life worth living? And liberalism needs a credible answer

theguardian.com

🐝 Have been meaning to share a gorgeous graphic novel, MILK WITHOUT HONEY by Hanna Harms. Originally published in Germany, and translated / released in the US by my awesome publisher Street Noise Books — it is about the critical role of bees in our world.

💥 This was a fascinating conversation about nuclear weapons, with @marceldirsus.com interviewing @drfranksauer.bsky.social. I know Frank from years ago while working on a story about banning autonomous weapons. He knows his stuff! 🔗 apple.co/45q2zTh

#30 Frank Sauer: This is How Nuclear War Works

Podcast Episode · The Next Best with Marcel Dirsus · August 7 · 46m

apple.co

I can never get over stuff like these brownies sold in a very normal German supermarket chain. The branding is so 1990s coded — you know, pre-American threats to invade Greenland vibes.

A great conversation on Proximities Podcast with Zahra Joya and Amie Ferris-Rotman, co-authors of the new book, THE VANISHING GIRL OF KABUL. Great questions from @barrymalone.bsky.social. 🔗 apple.co/4gfbWdy

The Australian interviewed me ahead of our talk at Sydney's Festival of Dangerous Ideas. @badiucao.bsky.social and I will be talking about YOU MUST TAKE PART IN REVOLUTION, and how while it's a work of fiction — it is informed by the authoritarian past and present. ⬇️ Full piece in replies.

"The lesson that U.S. rivals are likely to take from the war is that the brilliance of the American military is largely irrelevant." A great piece by @kschake.bsky.social that takes stock of the dumpster fire of the last six months. In @foreignaffairs.com:

Why We Should Fight

And where Trump went wrong.

foreignaffairs.com

According to local lore this was the beach that Odysseus washed up on when he finally arrived back to Ithaca. A very dorky me, many years ago went to the island, where I hiked while listening to Ian McKellen's audiobook of the Fagles translation of THE ODYSSEY.

⚾️💙 July was nuts (Berlin, Taipei, Helsinki, San Diego) but I found time for Dodger baseball. Shohei Ohtani hit a home run minutes into the game!

🇩🇪 Berlin! Dussmann's got YOU MUST TAKE PART IN REVOLUTION on its shelves. 🤩 It's always exciting to see the book in the wild, but even more so when it's at such a landmark bookshop!

Chris Horton's book on Taiwan, GHOST NATION, is out on paperback! It takes a look at both Taiwan's contemporary picture and its history. I call it "indispensable and timely" — it's super readable — grab your copy!

If you can't make our book launch in Melbourne — we'll be holding a special talk about how art is becoming a contested space between democracies and autocracies, at the Australian Institute of International Affairs. Registration required! 🔗 bit.ly/aiia-vic-revolution

An important piece by @ncotemunoz.bsky.social on China in Latin America — and what many US policymakers may be overlooking: Beijing "is pioneering a kind of statecraft that privileges quiet, subnational capture over big, flashy projects."

China’s Quiet Quest to Dominate Latin America

Small projects, big influence.

foreignaffairs.com

🇦🇺 SYDNEY! We’ll be at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas on Saturday, August 22nd to talk about our graphic novel YOU MUST TAKE PART IN REVOLUTION. The inimitable @danilic.bsky.social will lead the conversation and @badiucao.bsky.social and I will have a book signing after! 🔗 bit.ly/sydney-revolution

All those people who said Russia will never attack Europe look smart after what we did at Leipzig.

🇦🇺 CANBERRA! Come say hi at our YOU MUST TAKE PART IN REVOLUTION book talk and signing on August 27th!! The inimitable China specialist John Garnaut will be moderating our conversation. 🔗 bit.ly/anu-revolution

"When Russia’s problems worsen this summer and Putin’s options diminish, his temptation will be to escalate both at home and abroad." @peterfrankopan.bsky.social's June essay feels even more spot on now that it's August:

As the Tide Turns Against Putin, Beware the Drowning Man

Like a struggling swimmer, he may take desperate measures to stay afloat.

foreignpolicy.com

Thank you, Michigan. I love you from the bottom of my heart!

Spotted in the New York Public Library, snapped by a friend who walked by it totally randomly. This will never get old!! 🥹 YOU MUST TAKE PART IN REVOLUTION is across many branches of NYPL! Check it out!

🇦🇺 MELBOURNE! Come say hi at our YOU MUST TAKE PART IN REVOLUTION book talk and signing on August 26th!! 🔗 bit.ly/melbourne-revolution

Guys it’s okay if your complaint is you think Nolan’s THE ODYSSEY is superficial and just about adventure and monsters. When the bards first spoke and sang these yarns, they were mostly doing it for feast halls of drunk partygoers too plastered to focus. Everyone needs to chill.

🇦🇺 AUSTRALIA! We’ll be in Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra this month for the Down Under launch of our graphic novel YOU MUST TAKE PART IN REVOLUTION! Come say hi! 🔗 melissachan.com/events

Since I've seen no mention of this — the thing no one talks about is how well cast and played Menelaus is. The guy is exactly the one dimensional mid hero, who has a few good moments and bad, you expect.

It's been reported that Grace Chang, Hong Kong's preeminent Mandarin screen diva of the 50s, passed away this afternoon, one day shy of her 93rd birthday. Watch Mambo Girl and The Wild, Wild Rose to see her at the height of her powers.

I am very excited about diving into Hong Kong Brit Kit Fan's second novel, GOODBYE CHINATOWN. I loved his book of poems:

Goodbye Chinatown by Kit Fan review – a chef’s elegy to London

Skipping between London, Shanghai and Hong Kong, this tale of family migration, politics and food has plenty of flavour and fire

theguardian.com

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim of Taiwan kicked off this year's China in the World Summit in Taipei! With over 350 attendees from 75 countries, nearly 100 speakers, and more than 60 sessions over two days — the event has grown a lot over five years. Will miss being an advisory board member!

"Civilization-states’ claims to authenticity are much more expansive than a nation-state’s. They are grounded in stories that are ancient in character and immune to critique." By Terence McNamee of @migsinstitute.bsky.social:

Opinion: The era of ‘civilization-states’ is here. It’s up to the world’s middle powers to respond

A global system run by countries that identify themselves as ‘civilization-states’ bears no resemblance to the vision set out by Prime Minister Mark Carney

theglobeandmail.com

This year's Montreal International Security Summit will look at "Security and Defence in the Age of AI: Risks, Rivalries, and Resilience." October 26-27, 2026. 🔗 @migsinstitute.bsky.social | bit.ly/migs2026

The mistake folks make is treating The Odyssey like it's in the same category as Dune or The Lord of the Rings. But it's a 2,500+ year spoken and sung epic. Any movie should be approached the way we watch Shakespeare — the fun part is how the director chooses to render it.

My review of Gigi L. Leung's EVERYDAY MOVEMENT. Leung left Hong Kong to finish the novel in Taiwan. It was translated into English and published earlier this year, via Riverhead / Penguin Random House. 🔗 For @lareviewofbooks.bsky.social: bit.ly/larb-hongkong