The New York Times
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“Still Life with White Box” by Raimonds Staprans |
It is August in Paris, and my friend Alexander with usual irony sent me this piece from The New York Times about the very fashionable things to do in Paris this month. While these items are not on my calender, I am (somewhat) surprised at how the Times can turn even the slow days of summer into a must-do fashion alert. The pleasure of Paris in August is that there are no lists of things to do. The city feels extraordinarily empty, with so many stores and cafes shuttered for two or three weeks. On a warm day (which are few), when you wander in places beyond the tourist centers you have the feeling you are in some small town in the countryside or near the sea. Those who remain in Paris are the tourists, the poor immigrants, those whose jobs keep them in the city, and others, like myself, who enjoy the city in its half desolate state.
“The Empty Table with a Green Stripe” by Raimonds Staprans |
“Jars #3” by Raimonds Staprans |
And Morgan Meis at The Smart Set reports on the tensions between the Flemish and the Walloons and wonders what if Belgium didn’t exist, maybe it shouldn’t, and what would be left if it didn’t? : “It is not surprising that such ideas are strange and confusing to many. The idea, for instance, that the entity called Belgium could simply go away feels, initially, like a loss, a failure. Even for Belgians who don’t feel any great national pride, the loss of their nation is a potential source of trauma. This feeling is heightened by the petty resentments and chauvinism that gets thrown about in the feuds between Flanders and Wallonia.”
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