Saturday, November 20, 2004
· posted at 10:50 AM
Iris Chang (1968-2004)
I just read that Iris Chang, author of The Rape of Nanking and The Chinese in America has died of apparent suicide. Living in the self-absorbed pop culture bubble that I do, it's not surprising that this news comes to me more than a week after the fact in the form of a half-inch blurb in the EW Monitor. CNN.com also covered Chang's death in the "Entertainment" section, which I'm miffed at because I don't think it was Chang's intention to "entertain" with the horror stories of the Japanese massacre of China during WWII).
According to the SFGate, her brother said, "She lived a full life. She achieved enough for many lifetimes." True, her literary accomplishments were more than many of us could hope for, but was her life really complete when she had a half-researched book, husband and two year old son in tow? Or was it because of all these juggling acts and feats that her life was "full" and thus without any room to grow? Does life's meaning have a saturation point beyond which everything is inconsequential? Or is life a race with an ever-changing finish line?
There's speculation that her research haunted her. I hope she rests in peace now.
I just read that Iris Chang, author of The Rape of Nanking and The Chinese in America has died of apparent suicide. Living in the self-absorbed pop culture bubble that I do, it's not surprising that this news comes to me more than a week after the fact in the form of a half-inch blurb in the EW Monitor. CNN.com also covered Chang's death in the "Entertainment" section, which I'm miffed at because I don't think it was Chang's intention to "entertain" with the horror stories of the Japanese massacre of China during WWII).
According to the SFGate, her brother said, "She lived a full life. She achieved enough for many lifetimes." True, her literary accomplishments were more than many of us could hope for, but was her life really complete when she had a half-researched book, husband and two year old son in tow? Or was it because of all these juggling acts and feats that her life was "full" and thus without any room to grow? Does life's meaning have a saturation point beyond which everything is inconsequential? Or is life a race with an ever-changing finish line?
There's speculation that her research haunted her. I hope she rests in peace now.
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Channel your chi away from me. People will go t...
I'm only a half block out of the store when I see ...
Trapped in the Skinner Box. There was a point in ...
Can you hear me now? It's a big decision. It's t...
From a strictly economic perspective, the market f...
Anyanka: You trusting fool! How do you know the o...
Free Pizza and Town Hall Meeting Fridays Cumulus ...
See Lisa, instead of one big-shot controlling all ...
Exothermic A chemical reaction between two substa...
My Felicity season 3 dvds came today. I'm burstin...
Morning news
babie goose ryan
bluemouse
daves son
dawntaught
desiree
diorama
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