22 Comments
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Randall Van Nostrand's avatar

Fabulous essay, Elizabeth

Harrowing how humans keep repeating the same mistakes and cruelties

Elizabeth Bobrick's avatar

Thanks , Randall! I love having you as a reader 😊

Randall Van Nostrand's avatar

I love your posts :)

<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Insightful parallels and au courant for what's happening a la Trump in the US, as well.

Elizabeth Bobrick's avatar

Thank you, dear Mary. How exciting about your book launch! Mazel tov!

Rona Maynard's avatar

I remember my admiration for this piece and was glad to see it back in my queue. The so-called “ancient” Greek tragedies are more urgently modern than we tend to think.

Constance Ford's avatar

Frightening, clear-eyed, and timely!

Irena Smith's avatar

I think this was the piece that first brought me into your orbit, followed quickly by Au Revoir, Tragic Flaw. This is so good, and so brutal, and so on point. Every time I see traces of the ancient Greeks in our contemporary life (even more so when I see the brilliant connections you make between the ancient Greeks and our contemporary life), I think of the Faulkner quote, "The past is not dead. It's not even past."

Elizabeth Bobrick's avatar

This means so much coming from you. I don’t remember if it was this or the post I wrote for Mary Tabor’s Substack on trying to fix things. (If you feel like restacking this one, i would love that bc I never posted more than a link to the Salon piece here.) 😊

Irena Smith's avatar

done!

Sophia Kouidou-Giles's avatar

Hail to Antigone! May we all display her strength as we face Trumpism/Creon. Thank you for this article, Elizabeth.

Joanne Butler Henry's avatar

Such close and disturbing parallels Elizabeth.

In Minneapolis , when the would-be-king's agents of border control shot and killed bystander Renee Macklin Good , his lieutenants rushed to label the young mother a domestic terrorist. And within a day they ordered her widow be investigated.

Who is protecting Julia Navalny? Surely, she'll need it. In Minnesota, we're standing up for Renee Good. And the lawyers forced to investigate her as she mourned her wife's senseless murder? They walked off the job. I guess some of them know their history.

Elizabeth Bobrick's avatar

Joanne, I hadn't thought of that terrible parallel. Thank you.

Yulia is somewhere in Europe, location undisclosed to keep her safe (one hopes). She travels to meet with world leaders,so she's not in hiding. I don't know where their adult children are. Thank you for reading !

Elizabeth Bobrick's avatar

Thank you, Sophia! I hope you are well.

Joy V. 🌵's avatar

The documentary on Navalny was so moving -- I wish it was required watching for high school students.

Elizabeth Bobrick's avatar

I don’t know about it - what’s it called? Thanks for reading!

Amanda Dowd's avatar

A remarkably poignant article, and a frightening, unmistakable likeness. Thank you.

Elizabeth Bobrick's avatar

Thank you so much, Amanda.

Jeanine Kitchel's avatar

Elizabeth, so so "Antigone," the Navalny factor/death. A repeat of Sophocles, for sure.

Elizabeth Bobrick's avatar

Thanks, Jeanine! I appreciate your reading it.

Jeanine Kitchel's avatar

Sad - life repeating art.