The photo was taken by Rian Thum in May of 2010, at the Shrine of Imam Asim, near Khotan in Xinjiang. It shows a singer of tales (ghăzălchi) alternately chanting lines from a tale and plucking his dutar. He is a member of a three-person troupe. On the day of this photo, they performed, among other songs and tales, the story of Seyit Nochi, a young man who left home for a local pilgrimage and ended up losing his life by the order of a Qing official. In the background, a crowd gathers around a professional storyteller (qissăkhan), who is telling a story from a hagiography (tăzkiră).
This issue begins with an “Asia Beyond the Headlines” essay that looks back on one of the most talked-about Indian events of 2011: the protests spearheaded by Anna Hazare that garnered a good deal of support, including from members of the country's middle...
