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Existentialism, a Very Short Introduction, by Thomas R. Flynn

I only want to say that the clearest exposition of such philosophical concepts comes from the books and YouTube interviews by the Labour politician (U.K.) Bryan Magee. He interviewed Iris Murdoch – the philosopher and novelist Iris Murdoch who wrote much about Existentialism. It is of course a philosophy which has a strong connection with literature of various sorts. Thanks for your short introduction to V.S.Is!!

Lisa Hill's avatarANZ LitLovers LitBlog

Oh dear, it looks as if I’ve been bandying around the term ‘existentialist’ without really knowing what it means…

In the Preface to my latest adventure with the Very Short Introductions series, Thomas R. Flynn tells me that most people associate existentialism with Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir and the  Left-Bank Parisian cafés where they hung out.  And the problem with that is that existentialism tends to get ‘packaged’ as a cultural phenomenon of a certain historical period which tends to get linked to the problems of that era and not really relevant to our own.  Flynn is on a mission to correct that because he says that existentialism is a way of doing philosophy that is still current.

So his first chapter, ‘Philosophy as a Way of Life’ is about demolishing the idea of philosophy as a doctrine or system of thought.  Philosophy, he says…

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RUINS

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TODAY IN BERLIN: THE THREE-WHEELED WONDER FROM SPANDAU

Berlin Companion's avatarKREUZBERGED - BERLIN COMPANION

D-Rad Taxi and it passenger in 1928 Berlin (author and source of the image unknown).

(The following story has been featured in our first book, “Notmsparker´s Berlin Companion”)

Did you know that between 1925 and the end of 1927 Berlin had a fleet of 180 motorcycle taxis which almost completely replaced the regular car taxi service in many parts of the city? Introduced #OTD 1925 the Motax-Droschke was a well-liked if only temporary form of public transport.

Like the rest of the city, Berlin-Spandau suffered consequences of the raging depression: their taxi service, for instance – a bit of a luxury but also an important means of transportation – collapsed almost entirely. With prices far too high for an average person, customers disappeared and the taxi-drivers were forced to wrap up their business (a catastrophe for their families depending on the driver’s regular income). Central-Berlin taxi companies, on the…

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Winterzauber Potsdam • Winter Magic

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Two Poems by Rose Ausländer translated by Vincent Homolka

Sebastian Hayes's avatarPoetry in Translation

Love VI

We will meet again
in the lake
you as water
I as lotus blossom

You will carry me
I will drink you

We will belong to each other
in everyone’s sight

Even the stars
will be surprised
here are two beings
transformed back
into their dream
that chose them

Rose Ausländer translated by Vincent Homolka


Liebe VI

Wir werden uns wiederfinden
im See
du als Wasser
ich als Lotosblume

Du wirst mich tragen
ich werde dich trinken

Wir werden uns angehören
vor allen Augen

Sogar die Sterne
werden sich wundern:
hier haben sich zwei
zurückverwandelt
in ihren Traum
der sie erwählte

Rose Ausländer

Czernowitz before the Second World War

Peaceful hill town
encircled by beech woods

Willows along the Pruth
rafts and swimmers

Maytime profusion of lilac

About the lanterns
May bugs dance
their death

Four languages
Speak to each other
enrich the air

The town
breathed happily
till…

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the Art of Motivation

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Cafe culture in Buenos Aires – in pictures

Julian Worker's avatarJulian Worker - Journeys

Via Instagram, Vicky Martínez beautifully captures the timeless atmosphere of the Argentinian capital’s cafe scene

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Vanitas Stillleben – Tag 1 – Zeichnung von Susanne Haun

Love these!

Susanne Haun's avatarSusanne Haun

Das zeichnen eines Stilllebens beginnt mit dem Anordnen der Gegenstände, die auf dem Bild gezeichnet werden sollen.

Ich habe eine große Auswahl dieser Gegenstände und heute habe ich die Strohblumen, die Roswitha Mecke mir bei der Ausstellung Eiswelten schenkte mit den Schneckenhäusern und Mäuseschädel von Nina Alice Schuchardt kombiniert. Natürlich sind für mich diese Gegenstände nicht bloße Naturalien, sie sind verknüpft mit den Personen und Geschichten derjenigen, die sie mir schenkten.

Freundschaft - Vanitas Stillleben Vers. 2 - 20 x 50 cm - Hahnemühle Aquarellkarton (c) Zeichnung von Susanne HaunFreundschaft – Vanitas Stillleben Vers. 2 – 20 x 50 cm – Hahnemühle Aquarellkarton (c) Zeichnung von Susanne Haun

Freundschaft - Vanitas Stillleben Vers. 1 - 20 x 50 cm - Hahnemühle Aquarellkarton (c) Zeichnung von Susanne HaunFreundschaft – Vanitas Stillleben Vers. 1 – 20 x 50 cm – Hahnemühle Aquarellkarton (c) Zeichnung von Susanne Haun

Die Fotos habe ich mit einer Festbrennweite von 50 mm aufgenommen. Die Tiefenschärfe ist bei diesem Objektiv sehr gering – ich habe es zum Fotografieren meiner Zeichnungen gekauft. Mit den unscharfen und scharfen Elementen habe ich bei den Fotografien gespielt:

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HANS BALUSCHEK

There is a long item on this interesting artist who lived in Schöneberg in Berlin.

beautybellezzabeaute's avatarBeauty Bellezza Beauté

Hans Baluschek (1870-1935).

hans0hans1hans2hans3hans4hans5hans6hans7

hans9hans8hans9ahans9bhans90

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Schaufelraddampfer • Paddle Steamer