caravia/magazine

In despite Harlem's gentryfing it's still hard for a woman be alone on the neighboorhood.

"A thug named Mykul--all 6-foot-5-inches and 250 pounds of him--knocked me, a 5-foot-2, 120-pound "grammy" to three, down to the concrete. I was in front of St. Nick's Pub, at 10:30 on a Monday night this past May, when he stole my handbag, a beautiful green snakeskin bag and all its contents, including more cash than I'd carried in Harlem--ever. People I knew from the pub stood and watched.

Mykul was so sure of his protected status as a thug in the `hood that he ambled away cradling my bag in his arm like a football. Amused that he didn't even have to run, he grinned back at me lying on the pavement. My romance with the ghetto was over; and like every ill-conceived romance built at least partially on illusion, it was destined to end with a bang. I wasn't expecting a head bang.

It was three summers ago that I fell simultaneously in love with Harlem and St. Nicks Pub, the legendary jazz bar on Sugar Hill--ground zero of the Harlem Renaissance. Billie Holiday sang on the tiny stage; everyone who is anyone in jazz today has played there or come by to jam after downtown gigs.

On that Saturday night when I first went with friends to hear the Africa Band, I thought the pub--Harlem!--welcomed me. And I rhapsodized about the experience to friends. Striding into St. Nicks on a balmy August night, working my embroidered denim Halle Bob skirt with the deep front slit, I felt Harlem gently kissing my thighs. Nelson, the bar manager, smiled at me and brought folding chairs up from the basement to arrange seating for us because, he said, "I want you sitting here where I can keep an eye on those pretty white legs."

A classical magazine with presentation of new artists and good essays about known artists.

An excellent cultural magazine with in deep essays and reviews about multiculturalism and interfaith dialogues. Writers as Mikael Walzer are often presented in this very interesting and multilingual project.

Very interesting and intelligent cultural magazine/blog from Turkey. With a clear international flavour the blog publishes interviews and discussions about Istamboul, the Turkish art scene and the conflictive being with a let in Europe and the other in Asia. Highly recommended.

Good Magazine is always great reading, the mixture of philantropy, every day sense and good writing attracts me. This is an excellent article about how Pakistan peshtun population deals with the Talibans, the US, the old Brittish colonial heritage and the wound after the war against the Sovjets.