Five noted writers
and thinkers profile five of the world’s leaders. For some of us,
these leaders are heroes; for others, villains; for all of
us—strongmen.
We’re edging
towards a new kind of global fascism driven by aggression and
strident nationalism. In this energetic, focused book, a group of
five accomplished writers confronts five would-be dictators.
American playwright
Eve Ensler (The Vagina Monologues) burrows beneath the skin of Donald
Trump. Danish Husain, Indian storyteller and actor, finds himself
recounting the story not only of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
but also of the ascension of the extremism of the Sangh
Parivar. Burhan Sönmez, Turkish novelist, ferrets about amidst the
bewildering career of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Lara
Vapnyar, Russian-American novelist and journalist, ponders the
Stalinist origins of the Supreme Leader of All the Russias. Ninotchka
Rosca, Filipina feminist novelist, unravels the macho world of
Rodrigo Duterte.
These essays do not
presume to be neutral. They are by partisan thinkers, magical
writers, people who see not only the monsters but also a future
beyond the ghouls. A future that is necessary. The present is too
painful.