The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, more familiarly NATO, has commanded our attention since February when Russia launched an unprovoked attack on its neighbor. Though analysts predicted that Ukraine would collapse in a matter of days, that nation's military, showing uncommon heroism and military skill, has staved off the aggressors, to the point that some feel Russia may … [Read more...]
Noble Notable of Laureate Park: Halldór Laxness, Iceland’s Ironist
Many years ago, as I rambled alone on a July evening through the empty streets of Reykjavik, a single pedestrian, a drunk staggering helplessly on inebriated limbs, crossed my path. We smiled at one another. Gazing upon the coldly brilliant sun setting behind a crest of nearby mountains, I resumed my stroll and asked myself, “Where the heck is everyone?” This is Reykjavik, the … [Read more...]
Nobel Notable of Laureate Park: Ivo Andrić, Bosniak Chronicler
One cloudless day in 1915, a load of dynamite destroyed the central piers of a stone bridge that had stood untouched for centuries next to the mainly Muslim town of Višegrad in Bosnia. The bridge, named for Mehmed Paša Sokolović, the Ottoman Grand Vizier who had ordered its construction, spanned the River Drina not far from Bosnia's current border with Serbia. The previous … [Read more...]
Nobel Notable of Laureate Park: Jonas Salk, the Shy Vaccinator
Just one question pops up on our Medical City quiz today: Can you name one scientist, any scientist, responsible for inventing the COVID vaccine? Sorry, Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx don’t count; though they led the national effort to convince (most of) us to take the vaccine, they didn’t develop the vaccine themselves. Isn’t it odd – and revealing – that a couple hundred … [Read more...]
Nobel Notable of Laureate Park: Saul Bellow, Agent of Angst
With this article, we continue our series on the Nobel laureates whose names grace the 130+ streets of Laureate Park. Some writers seem blessed with indelible fame, even if recognition emerges slowly. Herman Melville, for one example, garnered little praise during his lifetime. Not until the 1920s did critics crown Moby Dick as a literary masterpiece, and Melville’s … [Read more...]
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