Whatever Happened To Alternative Nation

Beyond Empire and Nation

The decolonization of countries in Asia and Africa is one of the momentous events in the twentieth century. But did the shift to independence indeed affect the lives of the people in such a dramatic way as the political events suggest? The authors in this volume look beyond the political interpretations of decolonization and address the issue of social and economic reorientations which were necessitated or caused by the end of colonial rule. The book covers three major issues: public security; the changes in the urban environment, and the reorientation of the economies. Most articles search for comparisons transcending the colonial and national borders and adopt a time frame extending from the late colonial period to the early decades of independence in Asia and Africa (1930s-1970s). The volume is part of the research programme ‘Indonesia across Orders’ of the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation. Contributors to the volume are: Greg Bankoff, Raymond Betts, Ann Booth, Cathérine Coquéry-Vidrovitch, Freek Colombijn, Frederick Cooper, Bill Freund, Karl Hack, Jim Masselos and Willem Wolters.

Attacked from Beneath by Carp and from Above by Seagulls

For the past twelve years, out of a tiny but well-lit corner of the McSweeney’s offices in San Francisco, The Believer has published essays and interviews that are great for all seasons. But this collection is not interested in 75 percent of those seasons. Included in this eminently beach-tote-able digital edition are interviews, essays, poetry, and reviews that cover all the staples of summer—beach houses, amusement parks, surfing, road trips, honeymoons, failed Gen X sodas, and Taylor Swift. Judy Blume and Lena Dunham discuss Fifty Shades of Grey; Sarah Silverman makes her grandma cry; Peter Schjeldahl shares secrets from his annual fireworks display; Simon Rich wins an epic basketball game; and a lake in Lago Vista, Texas named “Fun" reveals itself to be anything but. Perfect for long, lazy days, this issue represents the best of The Believer’s buoyant (and slightly sunburned) side.

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska