A fragment of the book “What Science Says about Astrology” by Carlos Orsi Despite the fact that the predictions of astrologers were refuted by Cicero and Augustine, only in the twentieth century did science seriously begin to test the most common astrological forecasts - regarding the compatibility of different signs of the Zodiac or about the similarity of the fates of people born under the same stars.

Excerpt from Alanna Skuse's book "Surgeon, Midwife, Quack" In the 16th and 17th centuries, a genuine revolution in the field of medicine took place in Europe: medieval superstitions and recipes from street healers coexisted with the first attempts to systematically study the human body and treat its diseases, relying on scientific knowledge. Read about the role that rare educated women of that time played in this process in an excerpt from the book “Surgeon, Midwife, Quack” by Alanna Skewes.

About the publication of a podcast with transcripts of recordings of literary apartment dwellers Alexander Krivomazov Not long ago, the Arzamas educational platform released a podcast called “Entering without a bell,” which united unique audio recordings of the early 1980s made by Alexander Krivomazov during apartment parties, which he hosted at his home and at which Russian poets, writers and translators of those years performed.

About Henry Adams' book "Mont Saint-Michel and Chartres" Ad Marginem Press published a book by historian Henry Adams (1838–1918) “Mont Saint-Michel and Chartres”, dedicated to French medieval architecture, literature and theology. Olga Soboleva talks about how the grandson and great-grandson of American presidents imagined the European Middle Ages and why it excited him so much. All of us, since February 24, 2022, have found ourselves in the face of advancing barbarism, violence and lies.

About the new edition of Kropotkin's essay against the penitentiary system Peter Kropotkin was convinced that the penitentiary system does not correct criminals, but only cripples their lives, so it must be destroyed. Arthur Grand talks about why the ideas presented in the book “In Russian and French Prisons” remain relevant after almost a century and a half. All of us, since February 24, 2022, have found ourselves in the face of advancing barbarism, violence and lies.

About the book by Mikhail Pavlovets “Neo-avant-garde in Russian-language poetry” The history of uncensored Russian poetry is most often associated with a limited circle of high-status authors like Brodsky and Moscow conceptualists. In the book “Neo-avant-garde in Russian-language poetry,” philologist Mikhail Pavlovets turns to less popular poets who continued the experiments of the historical avant-garde and mastered the archival heritage that remained from it.

Excerpt from Valery Podoroga’s book “Elements of Literature” The Common Place publishing house published “Elements of Literature” by Valery Podoroga, the final, seventh book of his “Mimesis” project, dedicated to the analytical anthropology of literature. This volume examines the elements of literary experience, among which Valery Alexandrovich includes fear, body, sleep, etc. We publish a fragment dedicated to the topography of dream space.

Spanish publicist and the Russian “tradition of self-condemnation” Why did Nikolai Nekrasov, who wrote the poem “For This I Deeply Despise Myself” in the mid-1840s, pass it off as a translation from the works of the Spanish satirist José Mariano de Larra? And was the choice of this particular dummy name accidental? Ilya Vinitsky answers these and other questions in an article about the formation of the paradoxical ego-poetics of Russian critical realism.

From the book by Marina Golubeva “Myths about books. From the Tables of Fates and the Rig Veda to the Emerald Tablet and the Voynich Manuscript" Not all spiritual traditions treat the written word with respect. Followers of Zoroastrianism, for example, believed that people received the ability to write down thoughts directly from evil demons.

About two works of the new wave of Russian emigration The novel “Registration” and the film “Minotaur,” whose authors are recognized by the Russian authorities as foreign agents, are among the first and certainly the most discussed “relocant” statements about what is happening in modern Russia. Philosopher Ekaterina Rozova tells how successful they turned out, as well as what the movies and books have in common and what the differences are.

About Auritro Majumder’s book “Aesthetics of Rebellion. Art in the service of liberation. World literature and periphery" American literary critic Auritro Majumder contrasts the fashion for postnational “world literature” with the concept of peripheral internationalism.

From Society Against the State by Pierre Clastres Why is power deprived of the right to coercion not only possible, but also necessary? The French anthropologist and student of Claude Lévi-Strauss, Pierre Clastres, reflects on this in his book “Society against the State,” the Russian translation of which was published by Mamont press.

Interview with writer Lev Kaufeldt Lev Kaufeldt, author of the novel The Witchworm, started out with fanfiction about the witcher Geralt and the fanzine Find the Lumberjack, which eventually turned into an independent publishing house, and his new book Flat White grew out of his love for David Lynch and post-horror. Gorky talked to the writer about the literary underground, dreampunk and night walks around Leningrad.

From the book by Ernst Junger “Lesok 125. Chronicle of trench battles in 1918” The publishing house Ad Marginem published Ernst Junger's book “Lesok 125. Chronicle of trench battles in 1918” - a kind of continuation of the famous “Steel Thunderstorms”, in which the author focuses on a separate episode of the First World War and describes military everyday life. We publish an excerpt from this book.

What to ask at bookstores The secrets of “St. Anna”, perestroika in articles, diaries and letters, a study of the rural health care system, the anti-Eurocentric history of the Crusades and essays by the American Prishvin. As usual on Fridays, Gorky editors share their favorite new items on the book market. All of us, since February 24, 2022, have found ourselves in the face of advancing barbarism, violence and lies.