Bankrupt Houses

The West Will Decide On Putin's Bankruptcy

Peter Littger | Der Spiegel | 31st March 2022

Interview with ex-Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill, who coined the acronym BRICs to designate Brazil, Russia, India and China as an emergent economic elite. So why did Russia go sideways? "It’s the corruption and the terrible demographics – in particular, the low life expectancy among men. Productivity is a huge issue. Profound reforms and reliable institutions are necessary" (2,200 words)  

The Lives Of Houses

Hermione Lee | Princeton University Press | 31st March 2022

Notes on the part played by houses and homes (the distinction is important) in the lives and works of writers including Virginia Woolf and Henry James. "How a house is lived in can tell you everything you need to know about people, whether it’s the choice of wallpaper, the mess in the kitchen, the silence or shouting over meals, doors left open or closed, a fire burning in the hearth" (1,200 words)

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