@jlfreeman.bsky.social
Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature at Brown. Author, The Poetry of Power: Uyghur National Culture in Twentieth-Century China (forthcoming, Columbia UP). Translator, Waiting to Be Arrested at Night (Tahir Hamut Izgil, Penguin Press).
Congratulations to all the winners, especially my 師弟 @jlfreeman.bsky.social for his fantastic Hanan-Prize winning translation of Tahir Hamut Izgil's Waiting to Be Arrested at Night, a really essential read for anyone who wants to understand what Uyghurs have experienced in recent years
Really thrilled that Slaves of the Emperor has been awarded an Honorable Mention for the Levenson Prize in Chinese Studies (pre-1900) by @asianstudies.org!
www.asianstudies.org/aas-2026-pri...
Little tiny me in that grid down there, also very excited to find @jlfreeman.bsky.social!
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...
"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...
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... )
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
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...
Very proud of Harvard in this moment. Well done, President Garber.
www.harvard.edu/president/ne...
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.
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...
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.
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...
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.
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
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:
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...
