This week in The Usonian, we take a trip to Kykkos and explore the ancient origins of monasteries in Cyprus and the greater Mediterranean. Read the newsletter post here.
Thanks for reading!
Read “Predictions from the edge of the world” in The Usonian
As a holiday treat, I’m re-releasing an old article about climate science in Antarctica.
Follow this link to read “Predictions from the edge of the world,” a profile of NOAA scientist Mitch Bushuk I wrote in college.
Happy holidays!
Read “The Usonian Unwrapped: 2022 in Review” in The Usonian
It’s time for The Usonian’s end-of-year post—in which I discuss 2022 newsletter highlights and name my favorite film, book, and TV series of the year… read it here.
To my readers, thanks so much for following another year of the newsletter. They go by fast.
Read “Karen Han’s Bong Joon Ho: Dissident Cinema” in The Brooklyn Rail
For The Brooklyn Rail, I reviewed Karen Han’s new book, “Bong Joon Ho: Dissident Cinema.” The book is a fascinating glimpse into the background of the Oscar-winning “Parasite” director’s filmography and process.
In the same issue, you can also find an amusing list of films—you may have heard of the new Sight and Sound list of the greatest films in history, but have you heard of The Brooklyn Rail’s “Greatest Films You’ll Never See”?
It was fun to participate in this list of classic (but nearly impossible to watch) films!
Read “The Tombs of the Kings” in The Cyprus Files
In the final issue of The Cyprus Files of the year, I wrote about the Tombs of the Kings in Cyprus—the impressive subterranean burials for the descendants of Alexander’s empire.
Read the post here.
Thanks for reading The Cyprus Files in 2022!
Read The Usonian’s interview with Samuel Bollen on his new novella, “The Ghostwriter”
This week in The Usonian, an interview with writer Samuel Bollen about his new novella, “The Ghostwriter,” in Running Wild Press’ anthology to be released next month.
Check out the interview here. Thanks for reading!
“Falling” nominated for Pushcart Prize
I’m thrilled and honored to announce that my short story, “Falling,” has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. A fabulist retelling of Frank Lloyd Wright’s construction of the Fallingwater house, “Falling” takes real-life architectural history and bends it into horror.
You can find the story in Flying Ketchup Press’ new speculative fiction anthology, Tales from the Deep. The book features art by Alex Eikhoff (including the painting of Fallingwater in this post). Learn more about the story and the book in my newsletter post from October 2022.
The inventive Flying Ketchup Press has also crafted more ways to celebrate the book. You can now also order posters based on the story, book, and other great stories and wonderful authors in the anthology here.
“Falling” was a story long in the making (and writing)—it is such a pleasant surprise for it to be recognized with a nomination.
Read “From Turin to Toronto” in The Usonian
This week in The Usonian, I wrote about my recent presentations in Turin and Toronto—on Doxiadis Associates’ historic city planning activities in Nigeria, and the ghost city of Varosha in Cyprus, respectively.
It was such a privilege to discuss my work in these incredible places. I am grateful for the support of AISU and the MGSA in supporting my travel.
Read the newsletter here.
Read “The haunted ground of Belintash” in The Usonian
It’s spooky season, so I wrote about my visit to an ancient Thracian cult site in Bulgaria for The Usonian.
Check out the newsletter post here.
Happy Halloween!
Read “On Fallingwater and ‘Tales from the Deep'” in The Usonian
My short story “Falling”—a ghost story inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s construction of Fallingwater—has just been published in Flying Ketchup Press’ fiction anthology “Tales from the Deep,” available from Amazon in paperback and ebook.
You can learn more about the historical background to the short story in the latest post of The Usonian newsletter. Read it here.
Harrison Blackman 