Category Archives: Geo

Superflat Arhat: The Latest Exhibit by Takashi Murakami

By Geo Ong; photos by Sharon Suhr Arhat, Arahat. [a. Skr. arhat adj., deserving. Arahat is the Pali form.] A Buddhist saint of the highest rank. [highbrow source: The Oxford English Dictionary] Superflat is a postmodern art movement, founded by … Continue reading

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How ‘The Spirit of the Beehive’ Made It Past the Censors

By Geo Ong In many ways, the 1973 Spanish film The Spirit of the Beehive is a searing critique of the Francoist regime from which it was born. The film depicts a rural landscape isolated from progress and prosperity, whose … Continue reading

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Yoshihiro Tatsumi, Push Man

By Geo Ong ‘Everyone in Japan was so taken with the rapid economic growth [of the 1960s], greeting it as if they were part of some new era. As an alienated manga artist working away in a cramped room, I … Continue reading

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The Weekly Urchin Recap

By Geo Ong This Urchin’s going on assignment, y’all. I leave tomorrow, and for ten days I will live in and explore the mystical city of Los Angeles. Yes, that one. Yeah, I know what you mean. Yeah, I did … Continue reading

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That’s What She Said

What is a book? It’s a working hypothesis you use to get closer to things. —Christa Wolf, City of Angels

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Closing Out National Poetry Month with a Poem

By Geo Ong The Urchin Movement has certainly had a lot of fun during National Poetry Month. In the last thirty days we’ve shared with you some of our favourite comedic poems, political poems, nature poems, and an original Urchin … Continue reading

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Out of Sight and Out of Mind: ALEC’s ‘Ag-Gag’ Bills

By Geo Ong Man, when perfected, is the best of animals, but when separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all. —Aristotle You were a bit easy on commodity farming, but only because you can’t get into … Continue reading

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On Not Seeing

By Geo Ong A 1974 issue of Time reported that applications to journalism schools were at an all-time high, a big part of the reason being the media’s substantial role in the Watergate scandal. Without the investigative journalism of the … Continue reading

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The Weekly Urchin Recap

By Geo Ong Without context, I stumbled upon these word paintings, known as The Statement Series, by Neil Jenney at the Gagosian Gallery on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. And without context, I present them to you. *all images courtesy of Rob … Continue reading

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That’s What He Said

The Touch by Ocean Vuong* We slept on the floor, our bones cushioned with cardboard. Behind the wall, someone was humming a lullaby. I felt the hardwood tremble, my mother’s shoulder quivering against my back, the sound of tears flooding … Continue reading

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