 |
| October
2001 |
 |
| Indro
Montanelli in front of the Milan offices of Corriere
della Sera, where he began his career (Photo courtesy
La
Republica) |
Indro
Montanelli: Reporting the 20th Century
To admirers and foes alike, he was the “voice of a witness,
a master of journalism, Italy’s Grand Old Man.” Indro
Montanelli died in July at the age of 92. “A wonder of
vitality, he is the most famous journalist of the 20th century,”
wrote Dietmar Polaczek in Frankfurt’s Frankfurter Allgemeine
Zeitung.
Associate Editor Tekla Szymanski reflects
on Montanelli's life and work... 
Dita Indah Sari: Indonesian Labor Leader
Why would a middle-class Indonesian law student, who, in her
own words, would have been happy to be a kindergarten teacher,
feel compelled to become a radical trade union leader? Why would
she risk being jailed, sexually abused, beaten, and harassed,
all in the quest of fighting for democracy, against poverty
and injustice in her country? Full
Story...
Jorge Castañeda: Mexico’s Foreign Minister
When he was elected president in July 2000, Vicente Fox promised
voters el cambio—fundamental change. Among Fox’s first
appointments was his choice for foreign minister: Jorge Castañeda,
48, an internationally renowned scholar and progressive political
analyst. Castañeda, who has taught political science
at universities in Mexico and the United States, has written
12 books, including a biography of Ernesto “Che” Guevara.
Full Story...
|
| September
2001 |
Nawal
el-Saadawi: Battling Bigotry
Nawal el-Saadawi, 70—feminist, physician, sociologist,
Egypt's most widely translated writer, and former government
minister—has always been attacked for her views...
Annette Lu: Outspoken Outsider
The authorities in Beijing have called Taiwan's vice president
the "scum of the earth." And many Taiwanese refer
to her as an "IBM"—"international bigmouth"...
Gennadi Rozhdestvensky: The Bolshoi
Buster
Gennadi Rozhdestvensky, 70, Russia's most celebrated conductor,
was long considered an icon of the Bolshoi Theater's golden
days...
|
| August
2001 |
Marta
Suplicy: São Paulo's Savvy Mayor
São
Paulo’s mayor, Marta Suplicy, 55, of the leftist Workers’
Party, just smiles when called an “ill-brought-up hussy”
by conservative friends. Though she is rarely seen dressed in
anything but a Chanel suit and lives in an elegant home, she
knows how to communicate with the masses....
Hans Mayer: A Life for Literature
‘I never became the prey,” Hans Mayer used to say.
He didn’t like to be cast in the role of the victim. Mayer,
Germany’s most prominent literary critic and indefatigable
writer, died May 19 at the age of 94.
Jin Xing: Dancing Golden Star
A
high-ranking Chinese military officer transforms himself into
a transsexual modern-dance icon: It sounds like the story line
of a sassy soap opera. But this is the life of Jin Xing, 33,
a former soldier who after a sex change has become China’s
most admired dancer. |
| June
2001 |
Googoosh:
Iran’s High Priestess of Pop
To older Iranians, she represents the music of their
youth. To those who have never known a free Iran, she symbolizes
the liberty they are denied. Persian pop star Googoosh, who
in the 1960s wore miniskirts and set Farsi poems to disco beats,
is in the midst of a comeback after years of repression.
Ryszard Kapuscinski: A Poet Among
Journalists
Kapuscinski, who was born in Poland in 1932, has spent his career
chronicling political shifts in the Third World. He began as
a foreign correspondent for the Polish Press Agency, which could
afford to send only one reporter to each continent. “That
was an advantage,” he recalled in an interview at London’s
Institute for Contemporary Art. “It took me from place
to place, from revolution to revolution.”
Marie Bashir: From Psychiatry to
Politics
Grandmother, psychiatry professor, fighter for indigenous
rights—to these accomplishments, Marie Bashir now adds
the title of politician. Sworn in on March 1 as the first female
governor of Australia’s New South Wales state, the 70-year-old
Bashir said she would use her new role to bring ethnic groups
closer together and reduce poverty in the state. |
| Previous
Stories: |
Arturo
Uslar Pietri
Venezuela’s Conscience
In
his 94 years of life, Arturo Uslar Pietri wore many hats.
A novelist, historian, poet, broadcaster, and politician,
he stood up to the big oil companies that he felt were
taking over his country. He was also a passionate advocate
for his people. He “was possibly the best president Venezuela
never had,” wrote London’s Guardian newspaper of
the writer and humanitarian, who died in Caracas on Feb.
26.
Dr.
Cynthia Maung
‘Burma’s
Mother Teresa’
Dr. Cynthia Maung doesn’t let it go to her head that
people have described her as “Burma’s Mother Teresa.”
Questioned by journalists about her humanitarian work,
she tends to giggle softly and remind them that she wasn’t
a very good student at medical school. “Even when I attended
class, I did not always listen,” she told the Seattle
Times.
Charles
Mérieux
Vaccine Developer
|
|
Ibrahim
Eissa
Dissident
Journalist
At 36, Egyptian journalist Ibrahim Eissa has the
distinction of having been involved with 10 newspapers
that have been shut down by government censors, often
because of his columns. Known for his sharp critiques
of political Islam, Eissa is often censored even when
he writes about literature. But he insists that he won’t
be cowed. “I’m much stronger than others might think,”
he recently told the Cairo Times.
Bettina Röhl
Not
Her Mother's Daughter
Ruud Lubbers
Refugees' New Advocate
Amira Hass
Chronicler of Palestinian Life
Ndabaningi Sithole
Founding Father
Cesaria
Evora Cape
Verde’s Queen
Alex
Barnett
Outer
Space Entrepreneur
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