Your Thursday Briefing – The New York Occasions

Do: Is a nicer backyard amongst your New 12 months targets? Upfront of the rising season, it’s useful for gardeners to acknowledge what went fallacious within the earlier yr, and work out what to do as an alternative.

There’s no should be bored. At Residence has concepts on what to learn, prepare dinner, watch, and do whereas staying secure at dwelling.

And now for the Again Story on …

Ai Weiwei on the facility of books

The artist and human rights activist spoke to our Books desk in regards to the Cultural Revolution, the books on his thoughts and extra. His new e-book, “Human Move: Tales From the International Refugee Disaster,” got here out in December, following up on his 2017 documentary on the worldwide migrant disaster.

What’s the final nice e-book you learn?

The final nice e-book I learn was “Everlasting Document,” by Edward Snowden.

Are there any traditional novels that you simply solely lately learn for the primary time?

I finished studying traditional novels earlier than I used to be 24 years outdated.

Describe your best studying expertise (when, the place, what, how).

My best studying expertise was after I was dwelling in exile at a detention camp with my father, Ai Qing, in the course of the Cultural Revolution. At the moment, we burned all of his books to keep away from additional political persecution. I used to be not but 10 years outdated; I consider it was 1967.

It confirmed in me how highly effective these phrases printed on paper, and the photographs in between, could possibly be. My sister helped me after I requested her to carry me extra books. She despatched me books akin to “Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism,” by Vladimir Lenin, and “The Communist Manifesto,” by Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx. I fully disassociated with the ideas in these books, however I can nonetheless really feel the facility of the language and logic construction.