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The Swallows of Kabul
- by: Kyle Vaughn 07/3/2008
Yasmina Khadra’s haunting novel The Swallows of Kabul follows the lives of two couples navigating the dangers and sorrows of life under the rule of the Taliban. Mohsen and Zunaira are members of the fading, educated middle-class—reduced to a life of seclusion and desperation as Islamic law dims and even bans elements of the life they once enjoyed. Atiq, an aggressive-minded jailer, finds himself torn between his allegiance to Islamic law and custom and to his dying wife, Musarrat. more...
The Kite Runner
- by: Mark Moore 05/21/2008
The Kite Runner follows the story of Amir, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman in Kabul, and Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant. As children in the relatively stable Afghanistan of the early 1970s, the boys are inseparable. They spend idyllic days running kites and telling stories of mystical places and powerful warriors until an unspeakable event changes the nature of their relationship forever, and eventually cements their bond in ways neither boy could have ever predicted. Even after Amir and his father flee to America, Amir remains haunted by his cowardly actions and disloyalty. more...
The Digital Age--A New Dark Age?: A Look at How Christianity Can Speak to Those Lost in a Storm of Information
- by: Kyle Vaughn 03/12/2008
Stephen Hawking wants to explain everything. The astro-physicist, best known for his work with black holes, longs to build a scientific theory called the Unified Field Theory. If ever fully constructed, this theory would encompass the entire universe and pull together all of the knowledge of science and humanity. This, of course, is not a new attempt. In fact, this is what philosophers have been trying to do for ages--to create a theory or system which explains and unifies everything. But scientists and philosophers alike have become only more frustrated in their quest for such an over-arching explanation. If one traces the flow of philosophy, it might even be said that the philosophers have given up on this quest and, after centuries of defeat, have taken up a different set of questions. more...
Sufjan Stevens: Illinois
- by: Kyle Vaughn 02/17/2006
Sufjan Stevens’ latest offering, Illinois, is his second attempt to record an album for each of the fifty states. This plan might evoke images of a low-budget, poorly- produced album with lyrics akin to “God Bless the USA.” But Stevens is, musically and lyrically speaking, more in line with the likes of Brian Wilson. more...
Sigur Rós: Takk
- by: Eliot Landrum 02/16/2006
A young boy sits on the edge of vast expanse of deep blue water. The strings on a guitar are plucked as the beat of the song slowly picks up. He stands up. He is dressed in a period costume, maybe something close to an American Revolution drummer boy. He picks up his drum and stick and begins walking away from the water. The land he walks across is alternately green and rocky. As he walks, he meets other children busy with their lives: two girls are hiding among rocks, several boys are setting fire to an abandoned car, one boy is simply standing. With just a simple look from the boy, the various children begin following him. more...
