Stories of Communism

We discuss Anhua Gao's chronicle of living through China's Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution, and her surprise arrest during the "reform" era.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism: Quick Update 08/23

Aug 21st, 2023

Nelson Rodriguez Chartrand's book is now available in English, order on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Revolution-Promises-Reflections-Cuban-Exile-ebook/dp/B0CG11SYWK .(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 48: Broken Promises

Apr 24th, 2023

Nelson Rodriguez Chartrand reveals the many promises broken by the Cuban revolution.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 47: A View From The Top

Jan 31st, 2023

We discuss the strange and terrifying upbringing of Joseph Stalin's daughter Svetlana.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 46: The Miracles of Socialist Healthcare

Sep 30th, 2022

We discuss Vladimir Tsesis's memoir "Communist Daze", recalling his early years as a doctor in the Soviet Union.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 45: The Heights Of Absurdity

Jun 20th, 2022

We discuss Alexander Zinoviev's satire of Soviet intellecutal life in "The Yawning Heights".(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 44: Leaving the Nonsense Behind

May 30th, 2022

Immigrant Joe Czismazia shares his story of escape from Communist Hungary in 1956.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 43: Through a Child's Eyes

Apr 19th, 2022

We discuss Eugene Yelchin's historical novel "Breaking Stalin's Nose", one of the few books in this genre aimed at young readers.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 42: The Bears And The Bees

Feb 1st, 2022

Romanian immigrant Gyuszi Suto, author of "I Tried", shares more amusing stories, and reflects on the lessons of his Communist Romanian upbringing.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 41: In Search of Used Toothpaste

Dec 27th, 2021

We discuss the memoir "I Tried", by Romanian immigrant Gyuszi Suto, a collection of lighthearted anecdotes about his early life in the final decades of Ceausescu's reign.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 40: Little Socialist Womem

Nov 1st, 2021

The strange story of the socialist commune where author Louisa May Alcott spent part of her childhood.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 40: Little Socialist Women

Nov 1st, 2021

The strange story of the socialist commune where author Louisa May Alcott spent part of her childhood.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 39: The New Man

Sep 30th, 2021

We catch up with Nelson Rodriguez Chartrand, the Cuban lawyer who tried to teach free market economics in his home country, and ended up having to flee to Brazil.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 38: The Reality of Chinese Organ Harvesting

Aug 21st, 2021

We hear from Chinese dissident Jennifer Zeng and 2010 Nobel Prize nominee David Kilgour about the terrifying procedures used to supply organs to Chinese hospitals.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 37: A Strange Zoo

Jul 12th, 2021

Discussing Slavonia Draculic's “A Guided Tour Through the Museum of Communism: Fables from a Mouse, a Parrot, a Bear, a Cat, a Mole, a Pig, a Dog, and a Raven”.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 36: Radioactive Spinach for Kids

Apr 1st, 2021

We interview Nora Clinton about her memoir "Quarantine Reflections Across Two Worlds", discussing her early life in Communist Bulgaria and her later experiences in the US.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 35: Repeating History in Venezuela

Feb 28th, 2021

We continue our discussion of modern Venezuela, looking at Raul Gallegos's book "Crude Nation".(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 34: Cuba's New Colony

Jan 31st, 2021

Interview with two recent Venezuelan refugees about the last few decades of changes in their country.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 33: Special Circumstances

Jan 1st, 2021

We discuss author Vladimir Voinovich's comical (but real) attempts to upgrade his apartment in 1970s Moscow, as he describes it in "The Ivankiad". (Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 32: Romania's Worst Spy

Nov 1st, 2020

Following up on the last episode, we interview Teodor Flonta, still happily married to Ariella 50 years after the cross-iron-curtain romance described in his memoir "Paper Rings".(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 31: Forbidden Love

Nov 1st, 2020

We discuss Teodor Flonta's memoir "Paper Rings", telling the story of his cross-Iron-Curtain romance in the late 1960s and early 1970s.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 30: No Need For Comfort

Aug 24th, 2020

We interview Sergey Grechishkin, following up on his memoir "Everything Is Normal" that we discussed in the last episode.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)

Stories of Communism 29: Empty Shelves, Full Pantries

Jul 27th, 2020

Sergey Grechishkin's memoir "Everything Is Normal" reveals the USSR's pervasive lack of everyday items we take for granted in the West, and the odd human behavior that results.(Send feedback to erik@storiesofcommunism.com)