In her book ‘Brutal Beauty: Aesthetics and Aspiration in Urban India’ @ProfMenon argues that neoliberalism exceeds its descriptors as an economic, social, and political phenomenon. The book turns to artworks, performances, and aesthetics to examine the aspirations and anxieties generated in the wake of liberalisation in India.

If you enjoyed listening to our episode featuring Uttara Narayan and would like to know more about some of themes touched upon, here are some reports, interviews and articles. 🧵👇

https://twitter.com/darknlightzine/status/1448659454098960388

1. Here's a short piece on the Pavagada Solar park that Uttara talks about at the start of the episode. wri.org/just-transitio…

In the latest episode of #TheSubversePodcast, Uttara Narayan talks about the impact of constructing renewable energy infrastructure and the conflicts that arise from it. Uttara uses the example of how overground power lines from renewable energy companies are threatening the already dwindling #greatindianbustard population to highlight this.

Editor @whatallydid has a show recommendation. “When I heard that there was going to be a prequel to the original Star Trek series, I must confess that I found myself thinking - another one? Any Star Wars fan knows the pain of prequels. So multiple prequels just sounded bizarre!" @threadreaderapp unroll

This week, we have @menakaraman from our team making a book recommendation: "Comixsense is a brand new, quarterly comic magazine edited by Orijit Sen and published by Ektara Trust. It aims to feed the ‘intelligence, imagination and empathy’ of young readers between 12-17." @menakaraman says: "I loved Roots in issue 2 written by @cgsalamander and illustrated by Lokesh Khodke. Based on a story the author had reported for @MongabayIndia, it looks at the Pazhaverkadu, or mangrove forests of the Pulicat Lake."

In A Natural Dissonance, conservationist @venadavenu examines our relationship with the natural world, and the collective dissonance that we experience when it comes to forging real connections with the life forms living alongside us: darknlight.com/projects/a-nat… @venadavenu asks: Why is it that we marvel at the beauty of butterflies but flick away caterpillars? Why do we prefer manicured perfection in our gardens over natural growth? Why do we care more about large mammals in faraway places than the tiny creatures in our own backyards?

It’s been fun and illuminating to speak to all our guests on The Subverse so far. From poetry and protein-folding, to movement and disappearing community spaces, we have discussed a wide range of weird and wonderful topics. #podcasts In episode 1 of The Subverse, @devakipanini spoke to us about smaller, less celebrated species which are often left out of conservation efforts. Listen here: spoti.fi/3sFHP5F

In-house editor @whatallydid shares a book recommendation, just in time for the weekend. If you’ve been looking for something immersive, look no further. #reading #fantasy #nkjemisin #bookrecco @whatallydid says: "I was late to the N.K Jemisin phenomena, but I'm almost grateful that I didn't discover her before. Because her Broken Earth series got me through the first few terrible weeks of lockdown."

Are origami and the proteins in our body connected? Find out in episode four of The Subverse. Host @susieqllap is in conversation with @sudhaneelam2, a cell biologist who takes pleasure and comfort in folding paper into intricate shapes. Listen here: spoti.fi/3fdPra9 Listen in as @sudhaneelam2 talks about gazing at the stars as a curious child, the similarities between protein folding and the art of folding paper, and how a dragon helped her stay calm during an exasperating episode at the airport.

In episode three of The Subverse, we invited social activist @NityJayaraman to tell the story of Chennai’s Poromboke Commons. Not just because he’s a wonderful storyteller, but also because he has been deeply invested in this issue—of shrinking communal spaces. While this is a story that’s set in Tamil Nadu, you’ll see why it resonates with most of us. Shared public spaces are disappearing in several corners of the world, and this episode comes as a reminder to protect them. Listen to the full episode here: darknlight.com/podcast/

Thrilled to share with you The Crystal Lab, an ode to the humble amino acid Beta-Alanine. This mesmerizing short film is by Kamil Czapiga, an artist from Poland. Watch it here, and tell us what you think: darknlight.com/projects/the-c… Beta Alanine is a non-essential amino acid that is synthesized naturally by our body. And in case you’re wondering why it’s referred to as non-essential, it is only because it is self-sufficient, and we don’t need to get them from our diet. #shortfilms

Bengaluru-based artist Vinayak Varma @eyefry brought environmental lawyer and poet Devaki Panini’s poem Animal Origami to life with an elegant animation video. You can watch it here: darknlight.com/animal-origami/ “Strictly speaking, I wouldn't call what I've done here an animation. I approached it as a sequence of illustrations, almost as if it were a series of panels in a wordless comic. This made the process more approachable, mentally,” says Vinayak.

In this very first episode of The Subverse, released just today, host @susieqllap speaks to Devaki Panini about the inspiration behind her poetry and her interests in hidden and lesser-known species. You can listen to it here: darknlight.com/podcast/ Devaki Panini is an environmental lawyer with conservation on her mind. Her work has taken her across the world, and she has witnessed first-hand how human actions are altering ecosystems.

This week, we have @whatallydid from the Dark 'n' Light team recommending a book that helped her crawl out of a reading slump. Here's her battered but very beloved copy of the book. “During lockdown, I found myself unable to process new information. I had a stack of books next to my bed that perpetually threatened to crush me in my sleep and no motivation to read. I slowly reclaimed my reading habit by returning to familiar friends.