Retracing James Baldwin's footsteps in Istanbul, the city that saved his life
James Baldwin gets up. Wearing only underwear, he lazily scratches his back and opens the curtains before the camera's eye glides over the Bosphorus, following the boats crossing between the European and Asian shores of the vast city of Istanbul, which is just waking up. This footage, from the 11-minute black-and-white documentary James Baldwin: From Another Place, directed by Turkish photographer Sedat Pakay, was shot in May 1970. Until two years ago, it was impossible to find – except for a brief excerpt on YouTube – and it reveals one of the most important and creative, yet still relatively unknown, periods in the North American writer's career.
At the time the film was made, Baldwin was 45 years old and at the height of his powers. Known for his incisive and often dazzling writing, recognized as one of the most important authors of his era, an openly gay man and pioneer for gay rights, as well as a leading voice of the civil rights movement, he had been living in Istanbul intermittently for nearly 10 years. That Turkish decade, filled with parties and friends, self-questioning and struggle, would come to an end a few months later, marking the beginning of a long and unique period of exile that, as he would often repeat to those close to him, "saved [his] life."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Local France
17 hours ago
- Local France
How to holiday like the French
The French have a bit of an international reputation for enjoying a good holiday. In truth, employees in France don't get any more time off work than their counterparts around Europe, with a fairly average 25 days of annual leave for full-time employees. Some workers, especially those in the public sector, do get a bit more via a nice little system known as RTT days . But in general, most French employees don't actually spend two full months at the beach every summer, even though it can feel as though the whole country shuts down in August. READ ALSO : Factcheck: Do French people really take off the entire month of August? But when the French are on holiday, they fully throw themselves into the experience. Here are our tips for holidaying like a Frenchman or Frenchwoman. Advertisement Holiday in France France has a massive tourist industry, representing 10 percent of its GDP, and around 70 percent of those tourists are French. Although the French do of course travel the globe, they also appreciate their own country, especially in the summer when it's a part of the culture to spend at least a few weeks in another part of France - commonly at the beach, in the countryside or in the mountains. Advertisement Some parts of France that are especially popular with the French don't seem to have the same recognition with international tourists, especially the island of Corsica, the Vendée département in western France or the Île de Ré, Île d'Oléron or other islands off the west coast. But many French tourists also go to areas like the Riviera or Brittany that are popular with foreign tourists. As summers in France get hotter, heading to the cooler air of the mountains - the Pyrenees or the Alps - is becoming more and more popular, and these areas are increasingly set up for summer tourism with activities including cycling, hiking, extreme sports and boating on offer. Use pont days We mentioned that French employees don't get more annual leave than their European counterparts, but they are smart at maximising their days off. The principal method for this is 'pont' days - this happens when a public holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday. The worker then uses a single day of their annual leave to create a four-day weekend, which can be used for a trip away. There are 11 public holidays per year (or 13 for those in Alsace-Lorraine), and there's a good chance that at least a couple of them will fall on either a Tuesday or a Thursday. Over the summer, there are two - July 14th for the Fête nationale and August 15th for Assumption. This year they fall on a Monday and a Friday, so no summer pont opportunities, but still a nice long weekend. Roads and railways are usually very busy around public holidays, especially if they offer a ' pont ' opportunity. French workers take the art of the pont seriously - every year around January 1st French newspapers (and The Local ) run articles explaining how to take your annual leave to give you the maximum amount of time off. Have a second home This might require a lottery win, but many French people take off to their second homes for a few weeks over the summer. This doesn't necessarily mean they are super wealthy. France's inheritance laws coupled with the social model means that many people inherit a house from their parents, which they may decide to keep and use as a second home. Advertisement If you start chatting with French friends about their holiday plans, it's not unusual to discover that they are travelling to a second home that either they or someone in their family owns. If you're lucky, they might take you with them. READ ALSO : Explained: Why so many French people have second homes Holiday in summer (and also at Christmas, perhaps in February and over several 'pont' days) Holidays at Christmas, around public holidays and sometimes in February (ski season) are popular with the French, as the annual calendar of traffic warnings shows, but the summer holiday is culturally important. In fact almost 40 percent of people tell pollsters that they can't afford an annual holiday at present, but it's common for people to have some kind of trip away in the summer, even if it's just to visit relatives. Many offices and businesses close completely for a couple of weeks in August to allow their staff to take time off, while it's common to see small independent shops such as boulangeries closed with a notice on the door explaining that the owner is away on holiday. There are plenty of people who do work over the summer though - the 3 million people who work in the tourist industry, for a start. Advertisement Do not answer work messages Every year, jokes circulate on social media that take basically the same format. "American out-of-office message: I am taking a half day off to have kidney surgery, but I will be available on my email and cell throughout and will answer your messages as quickly as possible. "French out-of-office: I am out of the office until September. I will not be checking messages" This is perhaps a slight exaggeration (some lucky Americans get a whole day off for their kidney surgery), but it is true that there is very little culture of working or replying to messages while on holiday in France. A holiday should be an opportunity for complete disconnection, and French workers have the legal 'right to disconnect' . For this reason it's wise not to try and schedule important tasks in August, as it's highly likely that the person you need to deal with will be on holiday. Consider stripping off France has a thriving naturist scene and we're told that going nude in the summer is a very freeing experience. There are some nudist holiday camps if you want to fully immerse yourself in the experience, but there are also plenty of nudist beaches where you can get a nice all-over tan. It's best to stick to the designated nudist areas if you want to strip off fully, but going topless on the beach is generally OK anywhere. Once you leave the beach and head into town or to a bar or restaurant, however, you will be expected to cover up. Some towns even levy fines on topless men. READ ALSO : Can you go topless in French towns this summer? In fact, beaches themselves have quite a few rules - Sand, smoking and sex: The rules of French beaches Swim in the Seine If you're in Paris, why not take the chance to make history and have a swim in the Seine? After a massive clean-up operation, three bathing spots opened up in the river in Paris this summer, marking the first time that public swimming has been allowed since 1923. Swimming is only allowed in the designated areas - the swim spots are free and offer a changing area and lockers (remember to bring a €1 coin). The bathing areas can close, however, if pollution levels are too high - you can check if they are open here . Although also popular with tourists, it seems that Parisians are embracing the new opportunity too, and there are starting to be regulars at the swimming spots as locals take the opportunity to enjoy a part of their city that has been off limits for so long. Advertisement Drink Spritz and rosé, eat seafood France is a nation of seasonal eaters and drinkers. The classic drinks of the summer are the spritz - often Aperol but sometimes Campari or Saint-Germain - and rosé wine, although white is also popular. France has a growing beer scene with more and more people turning to craft ales, and many breweries are now offering alcohol-free versions for especially hot days. READ ALSO : Rosé, spritz and pressé: 5 things to drink in France this summer Food-wise, you'll see many French people tucking into seafood platters in the coastal areas, as well as salads and seasonal dishes. Picnics are also popular with French families, and you'll see some quite elaborate meals if you're in a French park or on a beach.
LeMonde
2 days ago
- LeMonde
Retracing James Baldwin's footsteps in Istanbul, the city that saved his life
First, there are his hands, slender and delicate, moving slowly over a long rosary, with the slow, light movement of someone who has learned to savor every second of existence. There is a bare room, where he lies on his back in the middle of a large bed. The windows and the stool topped with a pack of cigarettes highlight a minimalist decor, white as a blank page. And then, suddenly, there is his voice, as quick as it is relentless: "I suppose that many people do blame me for being out of the States as often as I am. But one can't afford to worry about that, because one does, you know, what you have to do, the way you have to do it." James Baldwin gets up. Wearing only underwear, he lazily scratches his back and opens the curtains before the camera's eye glides over the Bosphorus, following the boats crossing between the European and Asian shores of the vast city of Istanbul, which is just waking up. This footage, from the 11-minute black-and-white documentary James Baldwin: From Another Place, directed by Turkish photographer Sedat Pakay, was shot in May 1970. Until two years ago, it was impossible to find – except for a brief excerpt on YouTube – and it reveals one of the most important and creative, yet still relatively unknown, periods in the North American writer's career. At the time the film was made, Baldwin was 45 years old and at the height of his powers. Known for his incisive and often dazzling writing, recognized as one of the most important authors of his era, an openly gay man and pioneer for gay rights, as well as a leading voice of the civil rights movement, he had been living in Istanbul intermittently for nearly 10 years. That Turkish decade, filled with parties and friends, self-questioning and struggle, would come to an end a few months later, marking the beginning of a long and unique period of exile that, as he would often repeat to those close to him, "saved [his] life."
Euronews
3 days ago
- Euronews
Weekend strikes across European airports to cause chaos for thousands
Thousands of travellers could see their summer holiday plans thrown into mayhem this weekend due to planned strikes. Airport workers in Italy will stage a four-hour nationwide strike on 26 July, potentially leading to dozens of flight delays and cancellations. Demands for improved safety, better working conditions and work-life balance and national contract renewals are driving this industrial action. Strike action is also taking place at airports across Spain and Portugal, adding to the potential travel chaos. Where will flights be affected by strikes? Major airlines such as EasyJet, Ryanair, British Airways, Wizz Air, Tui, Volotea and ITA Airways could be affected, as baggage handlers, ground staff and airport workers are expected to walk out at every major Italian airport from 1pm to 5pm on Saturday. This includes the Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate, Rome Fiumicino, Florence, Naples and Venice airports. At Milan Linate airport, Swissport gate services and check-in staff will also strike. Earlier this month, Italian strikes caused 73 incoming and outgoing flights to be cancelled in one day. This included flights from Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa, Venice Marco Polo and Naples. Spanish flights are also likely to be impacted this weekend, as budget Spanish airline Volotea's crew and pilots stage a strike on Saturday as well. This could have a widespread impact across key European air travel routes. The airline currently flies to more than 100 European cities. In Portugal, workers at the former Groundforce, now Menzies Aviation, will strike during the last weekend of July and the last four weekends of August. The strike could particularly affect Lisbon Airport. The strike by workers at SPdH/Menzies, formerly Groundforce, begins on 26 July at midnight and ends on 29 July at midnight. The protest will be repeated during weekends in August, from 8 to 11, 15 to 18, 22 to 25 and 29 August to 1 September. Major airports, including Lisbon, will be particularly badly affected. What can travellers do? While these upcoming strikes will no doubt cause inconveniences, there are several steps travellers can take to stay prepared and better informed. This includes checking the Italian Ministry of Transport's website for official strike information as well as asking specific airlines and airports for the latest updates. Travellers are also advised to confirm the status of their flight before leaving for the airport. If travel plans cannot be changed around strike dates, avoiding peak hours while heading to the airport and arriving with plenty of time to spare can help as well. Under Italian law, minimum service levels are required during strike action, which ensures that some flights operate as usual. Flights scheduled between 7am and 10am and between 6pm and 9pm usually fall under these regulations and are likely to not be impacted. The Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) also publishes a list of guaranteed flights, which travellers can check for alternative arrangements. Flights to certain islands, such as to and from Sardinia, Sicily and Lampedusa, are often excluded from strikes as well. Travellers may be entitled to compensation in some cases. 'Under EU Regulation 261/2004, when disruption to a passenger's journey is caused by an airline's own employees, such as the planned Volotea staff strike, passengers may be eligible for compensation. This is because instances like these are considered within the airline's responsibility,' Darina Kovacheva, head of Legal at SkyRefund, said. She added: 'Volotea passengers whose flights are either delayed or cancelled at short notice due to this industrial action may be entitled to compensation of £250–£520 (€286.9-€453.2), based on the distance of their flight.'
