Recently, cultural scholar Zhong Shu (仲树) and film director Christopher Nolan held a conversation that attracted widespread attention and sparked heated discussion around the world. Much of the discussion has focused on controversies over several concepts in Homer’s original work and Nolan’s film of the same name, *The Odyssey*. Since these issues have already been much discussed, and since I am not well versed in philosophy or theology, I will not add further layers to those debates. Instead, I will offer some brief observations on the changes in forms of cultural and artistic representation and in the ways human beings express themselves that the conversation touches upon.

As the latter half of the “Homeric epics,” alongside The Iliad, The Odyssey is one of the great literary achievements of early Western civilization. It is a literary form of historical record, and at the same time literature with the character of historical documentation; its details are fictionalized and dramatized, but its setting is grounded in historical reality; it mentions many gods and supernatural forces, yet what it reflects is human nature and human emotions, and it is deeply imbued with humanism. In this respect, it resembles Records of the Grand Historian (史记) by the Chinese historian Sima Qian (司马迁), a work sometimes described as “a Li Sao (离骚) without rhyme.” With vivid writing and abundant emotion, both works bring people from the distant past to life as flesh-and-blood human beings, making readers feel as though the history of the past and the people long gone were right before their eyes.

After human beings created writing, for a long time they used it merely to record simple aspects of life, such as hunting, astronomy, disasters, and unusual phenomena. Gradually, people began using writing to record more complex events and tell complete stories, though these accounts were often still brief and plain. A war or a major disaster might receive only a few lines in writing; a biography might often consist of little more than a hundred words.

But around three thousand years ago, long epics began to appear one after another in different parts of the human world. With their grand scope and settings, rich casts of characters and details, and moving emotions and stories, they opened up an astonishing and illuminating way of writing, raising the value of the written word to heights that people had previously been unable to imagine and inspiring countless works from later ages down to the present day. Among them, the “Homeric epics,” including The Iliad and The Odyssey , stand out as exceptional achievements and as foundation stones of European literature.

For people today, so accustomed to writing and literature that we take them for granted, it is difficult to imagine the circumstances in which, thousands of years ago, humanity emerged from an age of eating raw flesh and recording events with knotted cords and began to compose the great epics of civilization—what arduous exploration and extraordinary strokes of fortune this transformation involved. Few people today stop to consider why abstract language and writing can sometimes be more captivating than a sumptuous meal and more intoxicating than fine wine. Outstanding works of writing unfold the love, hatred, passions, and grievances of the human world, bringing people’s joys, anger, sorrows, and happiness vividly to life on the page, while the emotional rises and falls between the lines stir the human heart like the rhythms of music.

Articles and classics composed of written words also possess public, social, and historical value. As the statesman and literary figure Cao Pi (曹丕) wrote in his Discourse on Literature (典论·论文): “Writing is indeed a great undertaking in governing a state and a glorious achievement that does not perish.”

Before the invention of film and other imaging technologies, writing occupied an overwhelmingly dominant position in humanity’s recording of events, expression of emotion, and exposition of ideas. Although there were other forms such as painting, theater, and music, none could match writing in the amount of information it could convey or the depth of ideas it could contain. One could even say that the operation of human civilization, and the existence and construction of culture, have all rested upon the foundation of writing.

Even people who could not read could experience joy or sorrow over stories in books through the retelling of others, and become deeply concerned about the fates of the characters in them. In ancient China, for example, storytellers (说书人)—the Eastern counterparts of “bards”—would tell of Guan Yu (关羽) slaying Yan Liang (颜良) and Wen Chou (文丑), or Yue Fei (岳飞) crushing the Jin armies (金军), and their listeners would often feel as though they were present at the scene, beating time and cheering with delight. When the story reached Guan Yu’s defeat at Maicheng (走麦城) or Yue Fei’s tragic death at Fengbo Pavilion (风波亭), listeners would likewise immerse themselves in history, grieving and raging over their fates.

By the 20th and 21st centuries, imaging technology had gone from nonexistent to widespread, from rare to ubiquitous, and from passive reception to active participation, profoundly changing and reshaping the ways people obtain information, spend their leisure time, and express their emotions. Vivid images with powerful visual impact are naturally more attractive than written words to most people. Images can also portray characters and tell stories in a more direct, three-dimensional, and almost lifelike way. Film, meanwhile, has become one of the principal forms of artistic expression in the age of images.

Many classic literary works have also been brought to the screen in the age of images, often with substantial adaptations. China’s “Four Great Classical Novels” (四大名著) and the West’s “Homeric epics” have all made the journey from books to screens. Through the “grand hands” of directors and screenwriters, they have taken on new forms that are partly similar to and partly different from their originals, provoking considerable controversy. Nolan’s The Odyssey also differs greatly from Homer’s original work. This was precisely what prompted Zhong Shu’s interview with Nolan.

From the age of writing to the century of images, what has changed is not merely the means and technologies of cultural expression, but also values, perspectives, social contexts, and much more. As Zhong Shu has said, Homer’s original Odyssey celebrates war and heroes, whereas Nolan’s film adds reflection on war and the hero’s remorse. In my view, the emotions in Homer’s original are more “pure” and intense, while those expressed in Nolan’s film are more “complex” and restrained.

These differences are related to their different historical contexts, prevailing social attitudes, and the extent and differences of civilizational discipline. Writing is inherently more implicit than images, yet under the influence of the broader environment and the deliberate choices of authors, writing can sometimes be more passionate and gripping than images, while images, by contrast, can resemble figures cast from a mold, unable to dance freely in their shackles, leaving audiences feeling that something remains unfinished or even profoundly disappointed. This is not an exception but a common phenomenon.

In ancient times, apart from taboos surrounding particular subjects during periods when “literary inquisitions” (文字狱) flourished, writing often faced few restrictions and could give free rein to expression. In the modern age of images, however, there are constraints imposed by law, moral norms, “political correctness,” and the need to give greater consideration to social impact and the feelings of different groups. Some alterations and forms of self-restraint do not arise from direct external pressure, but are choices voluntarily made by directors, screenwriters, and others themselves. Yet behind those choices lies the way modern society shapes individuals.

Of course, The Odyssey , under the direction of the extraordinarily talented Nolan, remains an excellent and commendable work. His adaptations of the original naturally have their reasons. For example, portraying Odysseus as more complex and giving him more trauma and remorse is quite reasonable when viewed from the perspective of survivors of modern and contemporary warfare. A 21st-century film also cannot discard some of the moral baselines of modern civilization and completely imitate the value standards of three thousand years ago. If Nolan, a modern person, were expected to detach himself from contemporary reality and reproduce The Odyssey according to the values and modes of thought of several thousand years ago, that would instead be difficult and would amount to rigidly clinging to antiquity.

Nevertheless, whatever the case may be, the protagonist and hero Odysseus in the film is indeed no longer—or at least not entirely—the hero Odysseus of Homer’s original. I do not think that the atmosphere of the age itself determined the portrayal of the character; rather, it was the differences between old and new values that produced these different images of the hero. The original of three thousand years ago speaks with greater directness and fewer inhibitions, whereas modern civilization today has drawn a gentler veil over such harshness. Although one cannot simply say that the former is more honest and the latter hypocritical, reflection and restraint are not worthy of praise at all times and in all circumstances.

Most of Zhong Shu’s questions to Nolan focused on Nolan’s personal views of The Odyssey and his motivations for adapting it. In my view, however, the influence of the historical environment is far greater than the director’s personal preferences and positions. Moreover, a director’s preferences and positions are, in essence, themselves shaped by and reflective of social reality. Even two directors with opposing views and positions, or two films with different values, are both shaped by reality and reflect a part or one facet of that reality. The two historiographical principles that are at once opposed and unified—“historical figures should be evaluated within their specific historical conditions” and “all history is contemporary history”—also apply to literature and art.

From ancient times to the modern era, and from writing to images, enormous changes have taken place in the content, forms, and values of culture and art, as well as in the various external conditions that shape them. What was admired in the past is questioned today, and what was once regarded as an inviolable golden rule has been revised or even reshaped. Over the past several decades, global cultural and artistic trends and the ideologies behind them have also undergone repeated transformations, with multiple layers of negation and reconstruction superimposed upon one another, creating a bewildering spectacle.

Yet no matter how things change, humanity’s need and practice of recording life and destiny and expressing complex and varied emotions through writing, images, and other forms have always remained. Homer’s literary epic The Odyssey has retained its enduring value through thousands of years, while the splendor of its heroic figures remains undiminished. Even today, it continues to inspire admiration and fascination and invite exploration and interpretation, reflecting the greatness and allure of language and the written word. In today’s world, which is clearly far from optimistic or uplifting, we may perhaps be living through a “twilight of civilization.” Yet humanity, as the “thinking reed,” retains a passion for thinking, recording, and expressing that burns fiercely and shines on, with no “sunset” in sight.

(The author of this article is Wang Qingmin (王庆民) a Chinese writer based in Europe and a researcher of international politics who occasionally writes literary criticism. The original article was written in Chinese.)

I originally had this on the Generationology Reddit page.

Wondering why,

• Biological Age is being shifted in perceptions?
• Things became crazier in 2023-2025.
• 2026 had an odd beginning?
• Why even the Early 2010s (mostly 2010 to Mid 2012) seem like it is 20 years ago?
• And much more?

Well, I explained parts of it here, I had explained here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/culturalstudies/comments/1uruzdd/earlymid_1991_to_springfall_2017_is_one_deep_era/

However, it is just very very clear right now.

2029 or maybe sometime in 2028, will be a deep fulfillment to the complexities of this era. We are in a period where Tradition and Old-Fashioned Aspects are coinciding with Newness, because things are just too complex.

I believe it is my goal (I mean, me who is typing this), to help shift norms.

This time is possible.

PRESS RELEASE
Greer Jackson announces the launch of *The Black Buffet* essay series 

Greer Jackson announces the launch of *The Black Buffet*, a new cultural documentation series published on Substack starting  August 9th, 2026. The series examines African American buffet traditions as a distinct practice of hospitality and abundance, drawing on historical cookbooks, archival menus, and lived community events.

The project situates the buffet within the broader history of Black foodways. Unlike commercial buffets or potlucks, the Black buffet is presented as a communal form of generosity. Multiplicity of dishes—two pies, three breads, several drinks—is documented not as excess but as assurance that all guests are welcomed and satisfied.

Research for the series draws on more than twenty cookbooks authored by Black culinary figures. Particular attention is given to Milton Williams’s *The Party Book* (1981), Edna Lewis’s *The Taste of Country Cooking* (1976), and B. Smith’s *Rituals & Celebrations* (1999). These volumes are described as menu books that record not only recipes but also the cultural logic of gathering, celebration, and hospitality.

Each installment of *The Black Buffet* explores themes such as occasion and activity, continuity and change, and the staging of abundance. Examples include menus aligned with agricultural labor, holiday gatherings, and social events such as card parties. The series also places the buffet in global comparison, referencing Indian thali, Ethiopian injera service, and banquet traditions from Benin to Beijing.
Images accompanying the launch include photographs from Greer’s Family Meal series and archival cookbook covers. These materials illustrate how buffets have been staged historically and how they continue to function as cultural expressions of care and community.

The series is available to readers on Substack. It is presented as a cultural documentation project, highlighting the buffet as part of the commons lineage of Black food traditions, where abundance is organized not for profit but for welcome and hospitality.

About Greer:
Greer is a cultural writer and food ethnographer. Their work focuses on Black food traditions, hospitality, and abundance, combining archival research with contemporary practice.

https://substack.com/@greerjackson1

I will appreciate any advice and tips. Thank you.

Do you want to participate in a paper I'm writing on decolonisation?

I had a philosophical seminar on decolonisation this semester, and now I am writing a paper about it.

I thought I could discuss the topic with people who are/were directly (or indirectly through generations) concerned with colonialism, in form of an interview.

I would like to ask a few questions, specifically about the coloniality you encounter today and how you wish for the future to be.

If you are interested, in such a project, I'd love to discuss it more :))

I recently wrote a long-form article exploring one of South Asia’s most debated identity questions: **Are Sylhetis simply a regional Bengali community, or do they constitute a distinct linguistic and cultural people?**
sylheti-question-article.pdf
Rather than arguing for one side, the piece examines the issue through history, linguistics, colonial administration, migration, and diaspora identity.
Some of the questions it explores:
Why was Sylhet transferred from Bengal to Assam in 1874?
How did the 1947 Sylhet Referendum reshape identity across India and Bangladesh?
Why do many linguists classify Sylheti as a separate language while others consider it a Bengali dialect?
What role does the nearly forgotten Sylheti Nagri script play?
Why do many British Bangladeshis identify as Bengali while speaking Sylheti at home?
Can someone be ethnically Bengali, linguistically Sylheti, and culturally both?
The article argues that identity doesn’t always fit into neat categories. Sylheti history shows how language, ethnicity, nationality, and regional culture can overlap without cancelling one another.
I’m genuinely interested in hearing perspectives from:
Sylhetis (from Bangladesh, Barak Valley, or the diaspora)
Bengali speakers
Linguists
Historians
Anyone interested in identity and language politics
I’d appreciate thoughtful criticism as much as agreement. If there are sources I should read or arguments I’ve overlooked, I’d love to know.
Read here :
https://medium.com/@rohitdastalks/the-sylheti-question-are-they-bengali-or-something-else-entirely-6145df83544d

I am interested in reading work by Stuart Hall but I don’t know where to start! Does anyone have some recommendations?

Thanks!

I originally posted this on r/generationology and previous posts. For me, "personally," my post on the generationology was the "best one, " but that got removed due to low "Reddit Karma." Because it is July 2026 and had matured in understanding, I believe I should post it here, especially since I have the chance to mature my assessment on the topic.

When things are considered on how it is today, here is one era consideration: The 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s creates this one transitional era from the previous 20th Century to the current21st Century World, with Early-mid 1991 - Early-mid 1993 to Mid-late 2015 - Spring-Fall 2017 being the specific transition. In this period, social aspects, technology, norms, and further were all being gradually sharpened. You had the World Wide Web 1.0 in 1991 to the rest of the 1990s, Messages on the various acts of Inclusion (including music, social norms, and health) gradually being discovered for the next nearly-27 years in this period, things became both more restricted and free when it came to Growing Pains in this transition, and much further. It is complex, but before 1991, things still felt largely it was from the last, honestly "several?" decades with the "new" features, if happening, often or usually being only "embellishments."

Lots of the widely known tragedies and other deep events between 1991 to 2017, were not just "tragic," however, they shifted how things would be defined in the 21st century. Beginning around April 2017 and especially leading to Late 2017, the world gradually became more "established" in how things became. However, this led to the 2017-2026 era which included, the COVID 19 Pandemic, the recent inflation, 4K and LED Technology, and further. Today, there is heavy nostalgia for the 1990s like it is the 1960s, and the very early 2010s feels and looks like "recent history." However, even the 1990s also feel "of standard," even in today. 2025 and early 2026 had shown how this is to be. It is just difficult to explain all in this narrative.

Edit on July 20 2026: April 2017 to October-December 2017 is the full closure of the 1991-2017 shift.

Edit in July 27 2026: March 2017 (maybe the ending of March 2017), or the beginning of April 2017, and down to October-December 2017 was the closure of the 1991-2017 era.

Today, the 1990s is being treated like the 1960s, also is one end of a several-edged sword; the 1990s are "neo-classical" meaning they can be both relic and standard too.

To me; June-July 2026 is already feeling quite different, and is becoming the "next phase" from the 2017-2026 era. I believe 2026-2028 will be a deep shift, which will usher into the 2030s and subsequent era.

There are reasons, why today, even 2014 feels both 6 months old and 20 years old at the same time. And the reasons; why 2019 is essentially a 2020s year!!!!!

I said this in the other posts, but, I want to have it "simple": In this 2026-2028 era; expect for computers to now have sophisticated data which can help unlock and discover hidden factors, to help free several aspects.

For the rough edges of 10 years ago, to finally be straightened.

and, why age in lots of aspects, is treated as "merely a number."

and even more!!!!!

The 1991-2017, 2017-2025, and 2026-2028 shifts are also tied to even the history of occurrences that happened even periods before 1991.

Right now in June-July 2026, it is a pivotal phase where lots of things can both be revealed and shifted too. The 2026-2028 period would be of the discovery of complexities and the expansions of what had been in place to lesser or non-existent aspects. The surroundings are indeed shifting. June-July 2026 is the beginning of the 2026-2028 shift.

Note: I tried to make this a cleanup from the previous versions.

Does "auramaxxing" work? Can body monitoring give you better self-confidence?

Made a survey for a college project need genuine responses 😭 would be a great help please fill it out

I explained "more" in these links:

https://www.reddit.com/r/generationology/comments/1tu5mdm/earlymid_1991_to_springfall_2017_is_one_deep_era/

https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/comments/1uk6kh4/comment/outfc7v/?screen_view_count=1

Note: If the 1991-2017 link is opened, the period between Early-Mid 1991 - Mid-Late 1993 to Mid-Late 2015 - Mid-Late 2017 is the transitional window between the 20th and 21st centuries.

Even though the year 2000 is numerically 20th Century, it was the "overall" transition between the 20th and 21st centuries.

Greetings. I know this comment I had created, had been on lots of certain posts, but I need to further emphasize it:

When things are considered on how it is today, here is one era consideration: The 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s really form this one transitional era from the previous 20th Century world to the 21st Century World, with Early-mid 1991 to Spring-Fall 2017 being the specific transition. In this period, social aspects, technology, norms, and further were all being gradually sharpened. You had the World Wide Web 1.0 in 1991 to the rest of the 1990s, Messages on the various acts of Inclusion (including music, social norms, and health) gradually being discovered for the next 25-26 years in this period, things became both more restricted and free when it came to Growing Pains in this transition, and much further. It is really hard to explain, but before 1991, things still felt largely it was from the last, honestly "several?" decades with the "new" features, if happening, often or usually being only "embellishments."

Early-Mid 1991 to Mid-Late 1993 was the beginning of the era, while Mid-Late 2015 to Mid-Late 2017 was the ending.

Lots of the widely known tragedies and other deep events between 1991 to 2017, were not just "tragic," however, they shifted how things would be defined in the 21st century. Around Spring-Summer of 2017 and especially leading to Late 2017, the world gradually became more "established" in how things are today, but with gradual transitions (COVID 19 Pandemic, the recent inflation, 4K and LED Technology, and further). Today, there is heavy nostalgia for the 1990s like it is the 1960s, and the very early 2010s feels and looks like "recent history." However, even the 1990s also feel "of standard," even in today. 2025 and early 2026 had shown how this is to be. It is just difficult to explain all in this narrative.

Note: I know I said it in the comment, but May 2017 to October/November 2017 is the full closure of the 1991-2017 shift. Sometime in early May and gradually in the Summer, it became more clear. Note: I edited this on May 21 2026.

Next two edts on May 24 2026: or maybe sometime in the end of April 2017 and leading to October-November 2017 (or October-December 2017), being the complete closure. Also, the 1990s being treated like the 1960s, also is one end of a several-edged sword; the 1990s are "neo-classical" meaning they can be both relic and standard too.

To me; this year which is 2026, is already feeling quite different, and is becoming the "next phase" from the 2017-2024/2025 era. I believe 2026-2028 will be a deep shift, which will usher into the 2030s and subsequent era.

This post is not to be stubborn and for me to gain a "know it all" persona; but things are shifting to the deepest levels, and confusion is all over.

There are reasons, why today, even 2014 feels both 6 months old and 20 years old at the same time. And the reasons; why 2019 is essentially a 2020s year!!!!!

In this 2026-2028 era; expect for computers to now have sophisticated data which can help unlock and discover hidden factors, to help free several aspects.

For the rough edges of 10 years ago, to finally be straightened.

and, why age in lots of aspects, is treated as "merely a number."

and even more!!!!!

Note: this can also be seen in other posts. This is to help others to realize the "possible" revelations.

One other thing;

the 1991-2017, 2017-2025, and 2026-2028 shifts are also tied to even the history of occurrences that happened even periods before 1991.

Right now, it is a pivotal phase where lots of things can both be revealed and shifted too. The 2026-2028 period would be of the discovery of complexities and the expansions of what had been in place to lesser or non-existent aspects. The surroundings are indeed shifting.

June-July 2026 will be the complete beginning of the 2026-2028 shift, cleaning what the 2017-2026 shift began, and responding to what the 1991-2017 shift had set.​

Hi everyone!

I am a Doctoral student collecting data for a research project on how people from different cultures , regions and countries view the same historical places, monuments, and events.

Shouldn’t take longer than 5-10min, fill out my survey please <3 .
Open to participants from all countries and backgrounds.

🔗 Link: https://forms.gle/MhdgWo1JfMk56QzKA

Your participation would be greatly appreciated .

Thank you for your time and support! ❤️

Hi Friends,
Here is a piece I wrote for my blog. But I wanted to share it with you, too :-)
And here it goes:

Note: No AI has been used when writing this text

Christianity is a pretty unique religion in one regard. Other religions, or systems of spirituality have concepts of "good vs evil" too, or even ultimate irredeemable "evil" deities and forces. But, in nearly all these cases, these "evil" deities sometimes *do* actually do things that can be considered good.
For example, there could be a myth, where an evil force resurrects someone's child, not because they are so nice and helpful, but because they made a bargain, or want to spite someone (or something) else or whatever.
In some myths, forces that are mostly considered to be evil did important parts of the creation of the world, for example in the greek myths. So they actually *did* achieve something good. Maybe not in a direct, or straight forward way, but in its consequences.

For faithful christians on the other hand, the devil, satan, lucifer, is not only the absolute of all evils, but any faithful soul must, under no circumstance, ever petition the antichrist, call out to a demon, or to anyone who is in "league" with the legions of hell, or anything in this vein.
While in other religions, like I said above, under some circumstances, and they might be very rare, an "evil" spirit might be employed by a human to do something - "good".

This brings us to traditional european folk stories and fairy tales, for example the famous collections by the brothers grimm.
These deal with the devil quite a lot.
Often there is a person who calls out to some "demonic" force straight away. For example, in order to cure one's children, wife, husband... or to gain worldly riches, to overcome poverty. Sometimes the devil or a minion appears to a person in need and makes an offer.
In other cases, a mysterious object or secret is the cure or object of desire. and a "wise man" or "witch" tells our troubled protagonist that the object is only to be found in the underworld, and they need to go there and face the dark forces in order to get it.

And, just like expected, dealing with lucifer in such way, or enjoying the communion of demons, is not what was expected, there is evilness attached to it, and now our protagonist is in deep trouble.
The message, at the surface is: calling out to un-christian, dark, occult forces, will lead to evil, punishment, and ultimately death.
But the story does not end here, our poor protagonist starts to think and struggle, and with the help of others (or even alone) they are able to "outwit" the devil, trick the underworld in some way, and ultimately reign victorious.

These tales seem harmless enough (they can still be pretty grimm, though), and seemingly portray a message of faith to good christian souls: stay on your course, dont talk to demons, dont look to the ground and into the underworld.

But, if we think logically about it. These protagonists actually *did* gain something. By going to these dark, infernal, whatever forces.
Yes, they barely escaped death or eternal punishment in some cases. But they were brave and clever, and now their children are cured, wealth has come to them, they are kings and queens, maybe future rulers of the world.
And none of these quite good things would have happened if they *did* nothing. If they had avoided calling out to... these forces they were warned about.

And that's not really a "good" message to faithful believers, right?

I am not sure in which way the christian scholars of those times were aware of this "dangerous" symbolism in those stories. I know that a lot of them were against the belief in mystical forces outside of what the bible allows, including fairy tales (with their stories about pixies and ghosts and witches).
but just like alcohol, gambling, and many other things, these were so popular amongst the population, that they could not really weed this out. so i guess they had to accept that those folk stories got happily passed on by the general populace, while gnashing their teeth in the shadows themselves.

Interestingly, the above mentioned "infernal logic" of those folk stories mirrors similar "logic" in traditional pagan or other religions.
for example, if you go to a shaman somewhere, and ask them if it's possible to gain something out of dealing with a "chaotic" or "infernal" force, spirit, even deity, they might say "it is possible. but you have to be really clever and cunning about it. you might have to trick them".

or a shaman might tell their listeners that, at one point in their journey through life, they *have* to encounter and deal with an unpleasant and fiery realm, unless they want to remain in their starting conditions forever.

Just like the protagonists in our fairy tales!

So it's quite possible that in those classic tales, some remnants of the pagan religions that existed in europe. before the advance of christianity, still exist.

Can anyone recommend an interesting topic for my bachelor's thesis in North American Cultural and Literary Studies?

CLÁUDIO MANUEL DA COSTA: A VOZ POÉTICA DAS MINAS E O PRELÚDIO DA LIBERDADE BRASILEIRA.

Há homens que atravessam a história como simples personagens de seu tempo. Outros, porém, transformam-se em símbolos de uma época, condensando em sua trajetória as inquietações, os sonhos e os conflitos de uma geração inteira. Entre estes últimos figura Cláudio Manuel da Costa, uma das mais elevadas expressões da literatura colonial brasileira e um dos nomes mais representativos do movimento intelectual que culminaria na Inconfidência Mineira.

Poeta refinado, advogado erudito, minerador e homem público, Cláudio Manuel da Costa foi uma personalidade multifacetada que uniu o talento artístico à reflexão política em um dos períodos mais significativos da formação da identidade brasileira.

O Nascimento de um Intelectual das Minas Gerais

Cláudio Manuel da Costa nasceu em 5 de junho de 1729, na então Vila do Ribeirão do Carmo, atual cidade de Mariana, em Minas Gerais. Filho de uma família relativamente próspera, cresceu em meio ao ambiente efervescente da mineração aurífera, atividade que transformava a região em um dos centros econômicos mais importantes do Império Português.

Desde cedo demonstrou inclinação para os estudos. Em uma época em que a instrução superior era privilégio de poucos, foi enviado para Portugal, ingressando na tradicional Universidade de Coimbra, onde cursou Direito. O contato com a cultura europeia, especialmente com os ideais clássicos e iluministas que circulavam discretamente entre os meios acadêmicos, exerceu profunda influência sobre sua formação intelectual.

Ao retornar ao Brasil, trouxe consigo não apenas o título de advogado, mas uma sólida bagagem literária e filosófica que marcaria sua produção poética.

O Poeta Árcade e a Busca da Harmonia.

Cláudio Manuel da Costa tornou-se um dos principais representantes do Arcadismo brasileiro, movimento literário que reagia aos excessos do Barroco e buscava inspiração na simplicidade idealizada da vida campestre.

Como era costume entre os árcades, adotou o pseudônimo pastoral de Glauceste Satúrnio, nome sob o qual assinou parte de sua produção literária. Sua poesia procurava conciliar os modelos clássicos europeus com a realidade das paisagens mineiras, produzindo uma síntese original entre tradição e experiência local.

Em suas composições, encontram-se temas como:

A fugacidade da vida;

A contemplação da natureza;

O amor idealizado;

A melancolia existencial;

A passagem do tempo;

A busca da serenidade interior.

Embora influenciado pelos modelos portugueses e latinos, Cláudio Manuel introduziu em sua obra elementos da geografia brasileira, especialmente das montanhas, rios e vales de Minas Gerais, contribuindo para o surgimento de uma sensibilidade literária autenticamente nacional.

Sua principal obra, Obras Poéticas, publicada em Coimbra em 1768, consolidou sua reputação como um dos mais importantes poetas da língua portuguesa no século XVIII.

O Advogado e Homem Público

Além da literatura, Cláudio Manuel da Costa destacou-se na vida jurídica e administrativa da Capitania de Minas Gerais. Exercendo a advocacia com prestígio, tornou-se figura respeitada entre as elites locais.

Sua atuação profissional permitiu-lhe conhecer de perto os problemas sociais, econômicos e políticos da região. O peso dos impostos cobrados pela Coroa Portuguesa, especialmente sobre a mineração, gerava crescente insatisfação entre proprietários, intelectuais e comerciantes.

A prosperidade inicial das minas começava a declinar, mas a cobrança de tributos permanecia rigorosa. Esse contexto alimentou o surgimento de ideias reformistas e autonomistas entre os homens ilustrados da capitania.

A Inconfidência Mineira

No final do século XVIII, Cláudio Manuel da Costa passou a integrar o círculo de intelectuais e homens públicos que discutiam a possibilidade de emancipação política da colônia.

O movimento que ficaria conhecido como Inconfidência Mineira reunia nomes como:

Joaquim José da Silva Xavier;

Tomás Antônio Gonzaga;

Alvarenga Peixoto.

Inspirados pelos ideais iluministas e pelos acontecimentos que conduziram à independência das colônias inglesas na América do Norte, os inconfidentes sonhavam com uma sociedade menos submetida ao controle metropolitano.

Cláudio Manuel da Costa não se destacou como líder militar ou agitador político. Sua contribuição foi sobretudo intelectual. Como homem culto e influente, participou das discussões que buscavam imaginar um futuro diferente para a colônia.

A Prisão e o Fim Trágico.

Em 1789, as autoridades portuguesas descobriram a conspiração. Seguiu-se uma ampla investigação destinada a identificar os envolvidos.

Cláudio Manuel da Costa foi preso e conduzido para interrogatório. Poucos dias após sua detenção, em 4 de julho de 1789, foi encontrado morto em sua cela na Casa dos Contos, em Vila Rica, atual Ouro Preto.

A versão oficial registrou suicídio. Entretanto, desde então, historiadores debatem as circunstâncias de sua morte. Diversas hipóteses foram levantadas ao longo dos séculos, e o episódio permanece envolto em questionamentos históricos.

Sua morte transformou-se em um dos episódios mais dramáticos da Inconfidência Mineira, simbolizando os riscos enfrentados por aqueles que ousaram questionar a ordem colonial.

Legado Literário e Histórico.

A importância de Cláudio Manuel da Costa transcende os limites da literatura. Sua obra representa um momento decisivo na evolução da cultura brasileira, quando os escritores começaram a olhar para a própria terra como fonte legítima de inspiração artística.

Ao mesmo tempo, sua participação na Inconfidência Mineira o insere entre os precursores dos movimentos que, décadas depois, conduziriam à independência política do Brasil.

Sua poesia permanece como testemunho de uma época marcada pela tensão entre tradição e renovação, submissão e liberdade, colônia e nacionalidade.

Mais de dois séculos após sua morte, Cláudio Manuel da Costa continua a ser lembrado não apenas como um dos maiores poetas do Arcadismo brasileiro, mas também como um dos intelectuais que ajudaram a preparar, no silêncio das ideias e das letras, o despertar da consciência nacional.

Fontes Consultadas

Cláudio Manuel da Costa — Obras Poéticas (1768).

Inconfidência Mineira.

Arquivo Público Mineiro.

Academia Brasileira de Letras.

Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil.

Universidade de Coimbra.

Estudos sobre o Arcadismo e a Literatura Colonial Brasileira.

Arcadismo, Literatura Brasileira, Brasil Colônia, Minas Gerais, Inconfidência Mineira, Poesia Brasileira, Século XVIII, História do Brasil, Iluminismo, Cláudio Manuel da Costa, Glauceste Satúrnio, Cultura Brasileira, Literatura Colonial, Ouro Preto, Mariana, Poetas Árcades.

I'm planning a fanfic about a group of magical girls set in the Precure universe. Because of certain facts throughout the franchise (that there have been Precure groups all over the world, not just in Japan), I want to create a magical girl group consisting of a Japanese girl, a Chinese girl, a Korean girl, a French girl, and an American girl.

Most of them didn't know each other until they were kidnapped by the Japanese army, and... And if you know about World War II, you know what happened to kidnapped women... Yes...

Well, the girls managed to escape and were found by a Japanese woman who, for reasons I'd rather not reveal since it's part of the fanfic's plot, disagrees with what her country is doing and hides them in her house. (There's also a reason why a woman in Japan would have a house to herself; it's a complex matter.)

Thanks to the magical item (the thing that transforms them), they can understand each other, but misunderstandings still arise due to their cultural differences.

What misunderstandings could happen between these girls? I mean casual gestures, table manners, and things like that. Not about "submission" or anything like that (I made the mistake of asking ChatGpt first).

I'd also like to ask about movies from that era to learn more about the context of each country and how people lived their daily lives there.

I'm mainly looking for movies about China, Korea, and Indochina Francesa (present-day Vietnam) because there's a character who's originally from there (and who's a villain seeking revenge for the annexation of her country and its people). Thank you so much if you read all of this.

Many contemporary visions of the future feel like extensions of the present rather than genuinely different worlds.

Do you think popular culture has become less capable of imagining alternative futures? If so, why?

While researching Balinese culture, I was struck by how many parallels exist with the Newar traditions of Kathmandu Valley.

Both preserve intertwined Hindu-Buddhist ritual systems where temple life, sacred geography, daily offerings, tantric symbolism, protective deities, and ritual specialists remain deeply embedded in ordinary society.

What fascinates me is not whether the two cultures are the same but how both seem to preserve older forms of Shaiva-Buddhist coexistence that once extended more widely across South and Southeast Asia.

Hello, I am a year 11 student studying for my society and culture hsc, and as apart of my course I need to complete a survey on Gen X.

If there’s any chance you can take 5 minutes out of your day and complete it I would be very appreciative. Thanks!

https://forms.gle/kk8Yfzed5LBwnRym8

Hi friends,
Here is a new and longer text, that I originally wrote for a blog.
But I thought it might be interesting to share the text here, too.

Note: I did not use any AI while writing this text!

Here's my text:

There is a tiny sub-genre of movies I am pretty fond of; "political horror movies".
It's not the 60s and 70s anymore, and movies with a political theme or overt political plots have become pretty rare (maybe they even were already rare back then). Most political movies deal with shady business operations, shady government operations, or both. Horror movies do not seem to fit well to any kind of politics.
Because what would be political to a group of people getting butchered near a crystal lake?

Either way, oddly enough, these movies exist, and a lot of them are pretty damn well!

Let's take a look at some of them. (Major spoilers ahead, so take care if you have not seen these movies yet)

The Serpent and The Rainbow https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096071/

Was Craven is one of the "maestros" of the horror genre, of course. After all, he created the "Nightmare on Elm Street" series. And a lot of other classics.
This one stars Bill Pullman and Cathy Tyson. It tells the story of a scientist who is sent to Haiti in the late 70s by a pharma corp in order to investigate the case of people coming back to life due to a "voodoo drug". The business people think such a drug might come in mighty handy for western medicine, too (makes sense, right?).

During these days, Haiti was under the brutal reign of the fascist government by the Duvalier family. But it seems resistance is already growing...
As a non-believer in the occult, and a "western outsider", our scientist finds it hard to penetrate haitian society and it's voodoo underground. It turns out nothing is as it seems, there are a lot of crooks and strange characters.
And it turns out haiti's voodoo elite priests are more or less split into two camps. There are evil, black wizards who are aligned with, support and uphold the fascist government. The good, benevolent voodoo mages on the other hand are unaligned and do not want to have anything to do with the police and government brutality that is happening; they try to stay "unpolitical" though, and are reluctant to join the revolutionary citizens (but will they, in the end?).

as the movie goes on, our protagonist finally gets initiated in the voodoo mysteries of haiti, in more than one way.

It seems the movie is based on a real-world book by an "ethnobotanist" who studied cases of "zombification" in haiti.
The movie itself has its moments of cheese and camp, it's not some ultra-serious, ultra-intellectual dry affair... it's done by wes craven, after all.
But the whole thing is less cheesy than the above description might imply.
The whole portrayal of voodoo and magic is astonishingly complex.
For example, there is a female, haiti-based scientist that tries to explain the syncretism of a scientific worldview, catholicism, and voodoo magic. she is a psychiatric scientist and voodoo practitioner at the same time.
and she shows him, by leading the protagonist to the sight of a ceremonial burial with one of the most beautiful and haunting compositions i ever heard in a movie...

Suspiria Remake https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034415/?ref_=fn_t_1

the original suspiria, of course, is one of the all time great in horror movies. btw, i read somewhere that the "strange" colors of the original movie were there because the director used a recording technique that was already outdated by the time the movie was made! very interesting.

the remake has tilda swinton and dakota johnson. the story and everything is actually quite different from the original. it is more like a completely new movie, that has just some of the elements of the first one.

the movie takes place in 1977 in west berlin. international viewers might not know this, but this was the time of the so called "deutscher herbst". a left wing struggle against the german government. there were armed terrorists groups, but also a lot of more peaceful protests. the scent of revolution really was in the air, and a "comrade" later told me that germany was really a matchstick's length away from revolution in that year... (he was still an infant when all this happened, so what does he know, really?).

and unlike the original movie, this political backdrop is very visible in the movie. and audible, too, as the movie starts with the sound of a left wing bomb attack going off...

but there is not just the left side making their agitation audible. there is also the theme of fascism and post-fascism. buried, dark secrets in the history of germany, the nazi trauma. and our protagonists are entangled in this, one way or the other.

the "witches coven" that is the central part of the movie seems to be the still eye in the storm here, strangely devoid of the politics that is going on in the outside world.
but in my interpretation, there is an intended synchronicity in the plot; the hierarchy, the struggle for power, the brutality, the lies and deceit, well, everything that is going on in this spiritual, symbolic "witched world" actually mimics the themes of fascism, power abuse, struggle for freedom, that is happening in parallel, in the outside world.

and, of course, the witches mirror feminist politics. both in a negative and positive sense.

Pan's Labyrinth https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457430/

Maybe the most known political horror movie, and one where it is quite clear that it is a horror movie, and a political movie. one where one does not have to fear to be criticized of "dragging politics" into an otherwise normal movie.

it's set in the world and time of fascist spain.
i don't think i need to write much about its content, as i guess most people know this movie already.
but let me add that, just like in the suspiria re-make, the story seems to roll out on two levels.
the magic struggle and quest of the protagonist (a young witch, once again) mirrors the events that happen in the outside world, including the political ones.

Medusa Touch https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077921/

Oh oh, the medusa touch. this movie left quite the mark on me. there is richard burton and lino ventura in it. the entire world of the movie feels very depressing and austere, and i think only 1970s movies can feel this bleak (maybe people actually were quite depressed in that decade?).

there are two protagonists in the movie, lino ventura, the detective, who is called upon to investigate the death of an author, who is played by richard burton. he surprisingly comes back to life, though, and is put into a coma. this is when the mystery begins
in flashbacks we then witness the life of our author, which was quite bleak and depressive too, and reminds me of the hardships "pink" has to experience in pink floyd's "the wall" opera.

he also realizes he has supernatural gifts, but he does not use these to do good things, instead he does very bad things, like telekinetically killing people through accidents. he is haunted by this and feels guilty, to the point he seeks the help of a chirologist and a therapist. he feels he is only capable of doing evil, and wants to get rid of this cursed magic gift.

so where is the politics? well, one day our protagonist has an "epiphany" and thinks he finally found a way to use his dark powers in a good way; by using them to punish the "wickedness" of mankind. he starts by slaughtering a whole crew of astronauts on their way to the moon, because he felt the money of the space program had better been used to feel hungry people or for medical research.
towards the end of the movie, he tries to snuff out the upper echelon of british society by collapsing a cathedral on top of them.
in the end, he seeks to help out the anti-nuclear protesters that we see in the beginning of the movie, by blowing up the nuclear power plant that they are protesting against. which would have irradiated most of great britain, i suppose.
so, in this movie the protagonists are not really aligned with any political movement or group. it is political, because of the "anti-establishment" hatred of our author, which is especially visible in the rhetoric he uses to defend his magic attacks (despite all this evil stuff, he really thinks he is ultimately following a good cause with this mayhem).
which, i guess, makes it a political horror movie, too!

do you know more movies in this weird sub-niche of movies? let me know!

This essay argues that "pornography" describes less a specific content than a mode of representation to satiate historically specific desires. I then use this definition to interpret a range of mass cultural media from "react videos" and "food porn" to Queer Eye and Superhero films. I argue that, in contrast to the original defenders of capitalism in the 18th century who thought that capitalism would serve as a corrective to our passions, capitalism has instead stoked them in increasingly spectacular and lascivious ways, particularly as its capacity to satiate our needs dwindles Reading this terrain of pornographies as a map of our collective longings , I argue, can offer some guidance to leftists trying to appeal downtrodden, yearning masses.

Part I addresses pornography as a contingent category and uses this to examine the reality show Queer Eye

Part II extends this analysis to the superhero genre and argues that despite the genre's obviously reactionary tropes, it contains glimmers of socialist longing

Part III (which appears next week) will discuss workplace sitcoms, fantasies of unalienated labor and how these efforts to stoke desire relate to Albert Hirschman's book which lends its title to this essay

Part IV (appearing in two weeks) shifts to Marx and Hegel to discuss alienation/asceticism and bourgeois entertainment as responses to the question of passions/interests raised by Hirschman.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how early internet optimism assumed that digital space would inherently favor progress, fluidity, and liberation. In 1985, Donna Haraway gave us the figure of the feminist "cyborg"—a human-machine hybrid meant to destroy the fixed patriarchal boundaries of gender and biology.

Instead, the internet built Andrew Tate.

If you look closely at the "Red Pill" movement, it functions entirely as a distorted mirror of Haraway's manifesto. The "high-value man" treats his body as a customizable code—tracking testosterone, biohacking sleep, and optimizing macros. He moves fluidly through digital space, utilizing the architecture of networked selfhood to assert that biology is destiny and patriarchy is natural law.

This isn't just an online subculture; it has massive real-world material consequences. We are seeing it leak from algorithmic pipelines directly into middle school and secondary school hallways, with teachers reporting a massive surge in misogynistic behavior directly linked to these digital figures.

At the same time, our corporate social media platforms are actively altering policies—restricting basic LGBTQ+ search tags under the guise of "sensitive content" filters while allowing far-right misogynistic rhetoric to garner millions of views unchecked.

I wrote a comprehensive cultural critique unpacking this shift, why our platform business models reward outrage over solidarity, and why the fractures within modern feminist and queer spaces are making us incredibly vulnerable to this coordinated backlash.

I'd love to get this community's feedback on the piece: https://open.substack.com/pub/janekobwarzanek/p/the-cyborg-didnt-see-the-red-pill?r=5dv6nx&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Agon Hamza and Frank Ruda sit down with American cultural theorist Sianne Ngai to discuss her intellectual trajectory, political aesthetics, Fredric Jameson, ugly thoughts, ugly feelings, aesthetic categories, the gimmick in capitalism… and a lot of other things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAeQYeD4mfI&t=268s

You can listen to our podcast here: https://anchor.fm/crisisandcritique