Jottings from the Granite Studio

Southern Weekend essayist Chang Ping has written a piece on national responsibility in which he unpacks the term “guojia,” arguing that the multitude of meanings associated with the word have important ideological implications. 
Translation by David Bandurski at China Media Project:
Before the National Holiday editors at Southern Weekend had asked me to explore a set of questions: “What [...]

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Down 2-1 in the series, and 5-0 in the bottom of 7th in game 3…we need some karmic assurance.  I don’t have any, but I do have a link to one of the greatest pieces of sports writing ever: John Updike’s 1960 essay on Ted Williams’ last at bat “Hub Fans bid the Kid Adieu.” [...]

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As many, if not both my readers know, each October we commemorate Hua Guofeng Day, the anniversary of Hua Guofeng’s elevation as Mao’s chosen successor, the Wise Leader of the Chinese people.  HGFD 2008, of course, is tinged with autumnal sadness, poetically apropos for the time of year, as it is the first Hua Guofeng [...]

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Just what I need, another way to kill a whole morning of productivity.  As if the Red Sox being in the playoffs hasn’t been sufficiently destructive to my schedule, IBM, in partnership with the Palace Museum in Beijing, has unveiled an interactive virtual Forbidden City.  I have only begun venturing through this online educational tool/video game [...]

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Via Danwei:

The Beijing News
October 7, 2008
Yan Chongnian (阎崇年), a scholar specializing in Qing history and Manchu culture, was attacked on October 5 when he was in Wuxi to promote his new book, The Kangxi Emperor. The prolific author was smacked twice in the face, allegedly because the attacker disagreed with his historical views.
While it was [...]

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And so the Red Sox squeezed past the Angels into the ALCS against the…Tampa Bay Rays!?!? Doesn’t matter.  What is important is deciding where to watch the games as the playoffs heat up.  Last year it was the Rickshaw, but I’ve been hearing about quirks in service as management focuses its attention on the hyper-successful [...]

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Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad the Red Sox are in the playoffs, but with the 12-hour time difference it really shoots to hell any semblance of Monday morning productivity.
I just got an iPod for my birthday. Loving the whole ‘podcasts while commuting’ aspect, almost makes Beijing subway/buses are pleasant experience.  Almost.
The idea that Sarah [...]

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The China Beat has had a month-long series on overlooked and recommended readings on Τibet, with noted professor Robert Barnett of Colombia University adding his own list this past weekend.  It’s a good series and a great list.
Frankly, though, I’m in the midst of “Τibet fatigue,” there’s a lot of good material out there on [...]

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Sorry for the sabbatical…post-Olympic malaise plus the start of a new semester and a few key research deadlines, conspired to push my little hobby to the back burner.
I know he’s a divisive figure, love ‘em or hate ‘em, but he’s always worth reading.  Check out this piece in The American Scholar by Ha Jin on [...]

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