History
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Ernest Gellner and Chuang Tzu
Just back from a two-day jaunt to New York City. We saw a Yankee game, a win for Wang Chien-ming! But more on that later. On the train I was re-reading a book I have assigned… Continue reading
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Save the Brothel!
China Daily reports that officials in Hunan are debating whether or not to preserve an 18th century brothel building: The brothel, built in 1733 in the ancient town of Jinggang, Hunan Province, is teetering on the verge of… Continue reading
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The next time you’re in Xian
The famous terra-cotta soldiers of the first Qin emperor are really quite striking. But after my trip to Dunhuang, I see them in a different, less celebratory light. And now I find that Mencius presaged my misgivings: When… Continue reading
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Pearl Buck
Bro. Bartelby, a regular and thoughtful commenter here sent an email asking my thoughts about the revival of Pearl Buck, author of The Good Earth. He sent along a link to a piece in the Wilson Quarterly by Sheila… Continue reading
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Back to Work
Here we are, back in sleepy little Williamstown. A stark contrast to big, brash Shanghai. I will have more to say about the trip in the next few days, some reflections on the past and the present in… Continue reading
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Asian History Carnival
For those of you interested in Asian history, there is a marvelous group of links over at Frog in a Well (China), which is hosting the most recent Asian history carnival. Lots of great stuff there, which collectively… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 