Joshua L. Freeman

Little tiny me in that grid down there, also very excited to find @jlfreeman.bsky.social!

A pile of felled trees with the quote “But now/ they were excited:/ the trees had no idea they would be cut/none of the birds knew either” and the text “Fifty States, Many Languages: Writing from the US: ‘Lumberjacks’ By Tahir Hamut Izgil, translated from Uyghur by Joshua L. Freeman”

This week, we’re debuting a new issue of multilingual writing from the US. This poem by Uyghur writer Tahir Hamut Izgil (tr. @jlfreeman.bsky.social ) takes a close look at the intersection of environmental extraction and human exploitation. Read it here: wordswithoutborders.org/read/article...

Trump Loses Another Battle in His War Against Elite Law Firms

"While the firms that rejected a deal and fought back have now notched a string of decisive wins in court, others that sought to appease Mr. Trump have seen high-profile resignations and internal discord."
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/27/u...

A generation before me, my parents also came to the U.S. for higher ed (they went back to Taiwan after getting their doctorates). We are among legions who came and continue to come to the U.S. for its stellar higher education. Excruciating as a new American watching this country self-destruct.

Proud of the stand @harvard.edu is making.

Proud of the way @theharvardcrimson.bsky.social has been reporting it.

Alum of both, giving money to both. These famously privileged institutions are leading the fight for all of us.

Respect.

www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen Land of Hope and Dreams

Tonight, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band opened their Land of Hope & Dreams Tour. Bruce launched this run of shows with three statements about the situation in the United States, with comments preceding his songs Land of Hope and Dreams, House of a Thousand Guitars and My City of Ruins.

Admiration to @anntelnaes.bsky.social

Beyond her artistic and intellectual talent, she has moral and civic courage. One of the very first to Stand Up.

(Resigning from WaPo after ed-page editor, himself later fired by Bezos, censored one of her cartoons. anntelnaes.substack.com/p/why-im-qui... )

The following text, above a green circle reading "swipe" connected to the WWB logo through a line: "Literature is how we create the world we want to live in. But that world is threatened by the administration's cuts to the NEA and the rich arts landscape it once supported. And the work we do to uplift bold, innovative global writing is newly at risk."

The following text, above a green circle reading "swipe" connected to the WWB logo through a line: "Like many other arts organizations across the country, we learned on Friday night that our 2025 NEA grant has been terminated because our work “no longer aligns” with the administration’s priorities. Moving forward, we cannot rely on funding that has sustained our magazine and our programs for well over a decade. Yet despite these challenges, we stand firm in our mission to amplify global literary voices and invite readers to explore a wider world through literature."

The following text, above a green circle reading "swipe" connected to the WWB logo through a line: "If you, like us, believe in the power of global stories, here’s what you can do in this destabilizing moment to support WWB and our vision of literature that embraces global interconnectedness:"

A set of green text boxes organized above the social media logos for Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, as well as a black button with white text reading "wordswithoutborders.org" and "wwb-campus.org". Two images, one of a teacher instructing students in a classroom and one of a selfie of smiling folks at a WWB event, are interspersed with the text boxes. The boxes contain calls-to-action to support WWB, including to donate, to subscribe to newsletters, to joine WWB Campus for free, to meet us at our free public events, and to follow us on social media and share our posts.

For most of our existence, WWB has received funding from the NEA. Now, like many others, we must chart a path forward without it. But our readers still deserve access to dazzling global writing. Please donate or share our work to support our mission of bringing the world close through literature.

Only one member of the broadcaster’s vaunted Uyghur language service remains.

PhD Timeline xkcd.com/3081

Introduction to Chaghatay, Summer 2025 This is an application form for the not-for-credit summer course in introductory Chaghatay language to be held through the Sigur Center for Asian Studies at the George Washington University in Summer ...

This summer, June 7-August 7, I'll be running an online course in "Introduction to Chaghatay!" 12 meetings. $280 for the whole thing. Open access textbook + videos to walk you through grammar and readings. Fees will support GW's Uyghur Studies Initiative. Apply here!

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

The Promise of American Higher Education No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue

Very proud of Harvard in this moment. Well done, President Garber.
www.harvard.edu/president/ne...

Why Catullus Continues to Seduce Us Imbuing his work with a volatile mix of tenderness, aggression, sophistication, and obscenity, the Roman poet left a record of a divided and fascinating self.

www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

In Xu Zhiyong's writing, there is a notion that citizenship is a two way street. It entails the rights of democracy and the responsibility to protect it. I did some thinking this week on being a citizen in this moment. Please share if you find useful.

rorytruex.substack.com/p/what-do-i-...

I am very moved that the board of the National Book Critics Circle has chosen me to serve as our next President. It’s an incredible group at @bookcritics.bsky.social and I can't wait to get to work with them.

China Correspondent International - Remote

One of the best jobs in the world is up for grabs: @npr.org is hiring for a China correspondent

job-boards.greenhouse.io/nationalpubl...

'We will defend ourselves' from Russia, says Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy in speech– video 'When you attack us, you will see our faces, not our backs', says Ukrainian leader to Russia leadership

After Trump and Vance's disgraceful performance today, I think we could use a reminder of what true leadership looks like. Zelensky's defiant, eloquent speech on the eve of the war remains a remarkable example.
www.theguardian.com/world/video/...

Utterly appalled by this. Non-refoulement is at the heart of international refugee standards. My heart goes out to those deported, their families, and the Uyghur diaspora. Such a blatant transgression of a core humanitarian principle is a chilling precedent for refugee communities worldwide.

Jeff Bezos is muzzling the Washington Post’s opinion section. That’s a death knell | Margaret Sullivan ‘I couldn’t be more sad and disgusted,’ says former top editor Martin Baron

If Bezos is so worried @washingtonpost.com coverage will cause Trump to harm his interests, why not donate WaPo to a trust? WaPo's financial value is a tiny fraction of Bezos's $$$ but its value to our society is huge & this would salvage a bit of Bezos's dignity.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Our Government Is Experiencing a Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly Musk is moving fast and breaking important things

Government does important work — but not if DOGE can prevent it paulkrugman.substack.com/p/our-govern...

Thrilled to learn that my book The King's Road had been awarded this year's Levenson Prize (pre-1900 category)! I am very happy and extremely humbled by this recognition.

Jewish people say NO to ethnic cleansing

Proud to be one of the 350 rabbis signing this statement — an ad in the NYT today and a declaration of our values.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

For more—and to sign— go to

saynotoethniccleansing.org

Danielle Sassoon, Manhattan Federal Prosecutor, Quits After Adams Case Is Ordered Dropped Danielle R. Sassoon, the interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, quit after the Justice Department told her to withdraw corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams.

For Vichy/Quisling Repubs in House + Sen, no humiliation is too deep, if threat is losing the job

See: L Graham, S Collins, J Ernst, etc

I've been fired. Most people have been fired. Losing a job is NOT THAT BAD. Especially for people who'll still be rich
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/n...

Contrast:

The Path to American Authoritarianism What comes after democratic breakdown.

Probably the best summary I've seen of the dangers American democracy now faces, and of the tasks and challenges awaiting those who want to prevent authoritarian entrenchment.
www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

If you're in district w/ GOP rep, *call or write*—202-224-3121 main Capitol #, but just go to individ web site—and say you want your elected rep to stand up for *Congress* as co-equal branch, to determine spending, etc

They take this seriously. (For each person who calls, 10x are thinking that.)

"I ought to take a nap
and leave the many meanings of a single word
lying on my table"

If you love this poem, you can read a memoir excerpt from this same writer/translator pair on WWB: wordswithoutborders.org/read/article...

Do you know who should be the next Translator in Residence at the U of Iowa? Tell them to apply!