Good morning everyone,

We kick off with a lovely talk from Mallory Ortberg, successful internet feminist and entrepreneur, at the XOXO conference. This video lasts 24 minutes, so it is not too long and is a nice thing to watch on a Friday lunchtime:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1ui7LCC6So

AMAZING PRIZES for guessing the author discussed below:

It added Platonic metaphysics to the emotional adventure of being English and upper middle-class, and a formula was born.

Just kidding, the prizes are all second hand books from my personal collection and who else would it be but Iris Murdoch. Please enjoy a long article about how her books and ideology played in Soviet Russia:

https://lesleychamberlain.wordpress.com/2015/10/27/iris-murdoch-in-russia-or-the-russianness-of-airis-merdok/

This lead me to research women authors from the former Soviet Union, and I found out about the dreamy poetry and life of Inga Ābele:

what are you my beloved night pragmatist

darkness in rings

wine and an ancient harpsichord in the corner

And also:

Seven years ago Ābele left Riga to live in deep in the forest near Sigulde, site of an ancient castle, with her hot-air balloonist partner.

http://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/setting-scene-latvia-interview-inga-abele

Happy Friday!

Alex.