As the pandemic resurges to the top of the news, learn about how the situation is being handled in Cyprus, in the latest post in my newsletter series, The Cyprus Files.
Stay safe out there. Thanks for reading.
Listen to “Brian’s Song,” a new episode on the Film at Fifty podcast
I was pleased to be a guest once more on the “Film at Fifty” podcast, which discusses films from 50 years ago.
On this episode, I join host Brian Rowe for a discussion of the extremely popular TV movie Brian’s Song (1971), which featured lauded performances by Billy Dee Williams and Jimmy Caan as football players for the Chicago Bears who form a lasting friendship despite their on-the-field rivalry and different backgrounds.
Though aspects of the film haven’t aged well, it’s still worth talking about due to the strong performances of the famous leads.
Listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Read “The Turkey from Turkey” in The Usonian
Why do we call turkeys by the same name as a prominent country in the Middle East?
Here’s a little holiday-themed post from my newsletter The Usonian. Happy Thanksgiving!
Read “Fast & Furious: Cypriot Drift” in The Cyprus Files
In this week’s “Cyprus Files” newsletter, learn about my adventures driving on the LEFT side of the road in Cyprus—and my experience at the local equivalent of the DMV.
Thanks for reading, and be sure to follow The Usonian for more dispatches from Cyprus.
Thanks for the shout-out from The Criterion Collection blog
I’m honored to have my review of Melissa Anderson’s book Inland Empire (2021) quoted by The Daily, the official blog of the Criterion Collection.
Check out my review of Inland Empire (and the David Lynch film of the same name) in the November issue of The Brooklyn Rail.
Reflecting on the 2021 AHRA Conference: “Region”
I’m grateful for having had the opportunity to present my paper, “Southwestern Fantasy: The Strange Case of Pueblo Revival Architecture in New Mexico,” for the 2021 Architectural Humanities Research Association (AHRA) conference “Region” at Loughborough University, UK.
Though the conference was virtual, I’m very glad for being able to “attend” and learn from so many exciting scholars in the field of architecture and urban studies. You can browse from a list of the conference’s abstracts here.
Read an interview with “Poet and nonfiction writer Andy Butter” in The Usonian
This week’s issue of The Usonian newsletter features an interview with poet and nonfiction writer Andy Butter. Check out the article to learn more about his work and his creative balance between two genres.
Read “The Two Nicosias, Part I” in The Cyprus Files
This week’s Cyprus Files newsletter takes a look at the contemporary urban experience of the walled city of Nicosia, the last divided capital in Europe.
In future posts I will continue to do my best to explain the complex geopolitical situation in Cyprus. Thanks for reading!
Read “Laura Dern, ‘A Woman in Trouble'” in The Brooklyn Rail
Melissa Anderson’s new book Inland Empire reinterprets David Lynch’s most inscrutable film by examining the director’s collaborations with Laura Dern.
Read my review of the book and the eponymous film in the November issue of The Brooklyn Rail.
Thanks for reading!
Read “A humble request: Support ‘A Mouthful of Air’ (2021 film)” in The Usonian
Tomorrow, Friday, October 29, marks the cinematic release of A Mouthful of Air, a moving film about an important subject by my friend Amy Koppelman.
It’s a challenging film, but eminently worthwhile, and I’m honored to have been involved in a small part of its production.
Learn more about AMOA in the latest issue of my newsletter, and please support this film if you can be safe at the movie theater.
Harrison Blackman 