A history essay I wrote for Halloween about ancient Egypt, Aleister Crowley, the Black occultist Rollo Ahmed, and what practitioners thought magic was really for in early C20 Britain, in @newlinesmag.bsky.social : newlinesmag.com/essays/the-m...

NEW: The launch of a new left-wing party in the U.K. shows political fragmentation may not be quickly reversed, & comes at a time when small electoral changes could have outsize effects, argue @josbetts.bsky.social & @lsmwilson.bsky.social in @newlinesmag.bsky.social newlinesmag.com/spotlight/th...

NEW: Chants at the Glastonbury festival protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza have drawn the outrage of Britain’s media and politicians. Still, a turning point has been reached for artists and the public, argues @idreesahmad.bsky.social for @newlinesmag.bsky.social. newlinesmag.com/argument/bey...

If you read one thing about Iran and Israel today, have it be this @newlinesmag.bsky.social essay on propaganda by Nahid Siamdoust. newlinesmag.com/argument/bom...

‘He read voraciously but fitfully, often preferring shlock from railway stalls to the Great Books he claimed to revere.’ @michaelledgerlomas.bsky.social on the prolific writings of WIlliam Morris: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Badar’s fellowship is partially subsidized by the Scholars at Risk program, which works with U.S. universities to host international scholars facing threats in their countries. He never imagined that a country with a Scholars at Risk program would one day pose a risk to scholars. A powerful essay ⤵️

NEW: What could be wrong with planting trees? In Madagascar, one region is fighting an Italian multinational’s attempts to turn its grazing grounds into carbon offsets, write Daniela Sala, Sara Manisera and Andrianaivomanana Lova for @newlinesmag.bsky.social newlinesmag.com/reportage/th...

The world is worried about the jihadism of Syria’s new leaders, but the world may be missing the point, argues Robin Yassin-Kassab @qunfuz.bsky.social in this powerful intervention in the Islamism/secularism debate in post-Assad Syria, for @newlinesmag.bsky.social. newlinesmag.com/argument/syr...

The thing about chaos is that the end result is always unpredictable, and Elon Musk's brand of chaos is no exception. By myself and @josbetts.bsky.social for @newlinesmag.bsky.social

There is no better place on the internet to read deep, humane coverage of Syria than @newlinesmag.bsky.social. Just this week we published 6 different Syrian authors. Here's a thread of some of our best writing on Syria, starting here: newlinesmag.com/argument/lib...

My 5th archaeology story for @newlinesmag.bsky.social but this time it's a story of destruction, not excavation. We don't even know what's being destroyed by Israeli bombs in Lebanon- but here's what we do know. History as well as lives are being destroyed. newlinesmag.com/reportage/le...