Ishtar. Astarte. Aphrodite’s origins go way back on Cyprus. Learn more about the myth of Aphrodite and important locations for her ancient worship in the latest issue of my newsletter spin-off, The Cyprus Files. Thanks for reading!
Category: newsletter
Read “Four Holy Sites in Cyprus” in The Cyprus Files
Cyprus’ religious history spans millennia. In the latest issue of my newsletter, learn about four holy sites on the island, each relevant to different faiths.
Thanks for reading!
Read “A Near-Pope Experience” in The Cyprus Files
The newsletter is back for 2022! Check out a recap of my near-Pope experience in Cyprus last month, including a brief primer on the shared history between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. As always, thanks for reading!
Photo copyright Harrison Blackman, 2021.
Read “The Usonian ‘Unwrapped'” in The Usonian
You’ve heard of Spotify Wrapped. How about “The Usonian Unwrapped”? In this end-of-year post I recap 2021 and highlight some of my favorite articles from the first year of the newsletter.
Thanks for reading and see you in 2022!
Read “Bruce Clark on ‘Athens: City of Wisdom'” in The Usonian
“Cities are, by definition, the places where people find creative solutions to the dilemma of living together.”
I’m pleased to publish one last (!) interview this year—this one with the amazingly erudite Bruce Clark, whose new book “Athens: City of Wisdom” tells the story of the fabled city all the way from antiquity to present.
Do check out the interview and the book, which might just be a perfect last-minute stocking stuffer for your friendly neighborhood history buff or philhellene. Thanks for reading, and happy holidays!
Read “The Two Nicosias, Part II” in The Cyprus Files
In this week’s newsletter, I discuss the deep history behind the Cyprus problem in The Cyprus Files, the limited-run newsletter series from The Usonian. This is the second post in “The Two Nicosias” series; you can read the first post here. Thanks for reading about this important topic.
Read an interview with speculative fiction writer Leanne Howard in The Usonian
In my final newsletter interview of the year, learn about the work of speculative fiction writer Leanne Howard and her writing in the genres of fantasy and romance.
Be sure to check out Leanne’s wonderful storytelling on her website!
Read “The Virus in Cyprus” in The Cyprus Files
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!
Harrison Blackman 