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Notebook

Ian Buruma’s notebook: Teenagers discover Montaigne the blogger

Plus: A discussion in George Soros’s flag, the irrationality of Vladimir Putin, and the mystery of Britain’s brilliant actors

22 February 2014

9:00 AM

22 February 2014

9:00 AM

Bard College in upstate New York, where I teach in the spring semester, is an interesting institution, once better known for sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll than academic rigour. This has changed, thanks to Bard’s president, Leon Botstein, who conducts orchestras when he is not presiding. This semester, I am teaching a class in literary journalism.

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Ian Buruma’s books include Year Zero: A History of 1945 and A Japanese Mirror.

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