I believe the anecdote also says something about XJP’s character.

Franz Kafka spent his entire adult life working as an insurance clerk. Writing was not a pastime he indulged in for enjoyment or as an escape from his desk job—it was a profound spiritual necessity for him.

Mao briefly worked as a primary school history teacher, but his most formative education came from his time as a library assistant (an outsider) at Peking University.

If you’re interested, here’s a video essay on the Cultural Revolution that provides valuable context.

youtu.be/8jEMlFCaI04?...

Mao was far from uneducated—he was, in fact, quite a poet—and therein lies the danger.

In my view, understanding the differences between romantic, modernist, and radical communists is crucial when interpreting China’s recent history.

The art world often teems with frauds and charlatans—audiences included—where posturing can sometimes overshadow substance.

Music, however, doesn’t afford such luxury; you either know, or you don’t.

Japan is like still waters with deep, volatile undercurrents, embodying both tranquility and complexity. Its value system so faithfully ancient it holds much to offer humanity going forward.

Yes, possibly more difficult in the longer term due to sizable permanent exodus from the general area. But let’s not be too pessimistic, there are no shortage people earnestly rebuilding.

A very good friend’s brother who’s a Wajima-nuri artisan (pictured below) is still being sheltered in the school gymnasium with his family a year after the earthquake. The challenges are immense, to put it lightly.

The irony. Woodblock prints were mass produced for the masses, or in today’s parlance, mass accessibility.