Roberto Bolaño, who wrote the majority of his 10 novels and collections of stories in the final years of his life (he died in 2003, of chronic liver failure, still writing the ending words to his masterwork, “2666”), has crossed over from literary folk hero to mainstream celebrity. Days after “2666” was published in English, in November, 2008, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG), his North American publisher, rushed out a second printing. Lorin Stein, editor at FSG, has called him an “intellectual Harry Potter.”
People
Roberto Bolaño, Poet and Vagabond: Global Nomad
February 3rd, 2009 by Janera SoerelTian Feng: China’s Ecotourism Expert
January 11th, 2009 by Janera Soerel
Ecotourism is a hot topic globally, but like any “green” trend, the ecotourism label can be more of a marketing scheme than an indicator of sustainability. In China, ecotourism is even more difficult to define. The term implies no particular environmental awareness. It can include rustic backpacking and closely-managed mass tourism complete with buses and paved roads. It may incorporate cultural education, the opportunity to buy local crafts, or merely a view of a lake.
Dudamel in da House
November 26th, 2008 by Janera Soerel
Venezuela is known for Hugo Chavez, oil exports and its record number of Miss World pageant winners. But if classical music fans had their way, it would also be synonymous with Gustavo Dudamel, its 27-year old star conductor, and El Sistema, the state-sponsored music education system that gave him his start…
A Woman on a Wave: Talking to Rebecca Gomperts
October 16th, 2008 by Janera Soerel
I recently spoke to Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, founder of Women on Waves, the organization that helps women from countries where abortion is illegal, obtain the controversial abortion pill RU-486 on a ship-sailing under the Dutch flag-anchored in international waters in front of the pro-life country’s coast. She is currently campaigning in Valencia, Spain…
