Do stuff. Be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration’s shove or society’s kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It’s all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager.
i think person't character shows in the person's facial features, and hers are certainly very strong. as opposed to the blank prettiness of "stars" and such, her face says: i am a beautiful, strong, unique woman, don't mess with me :P
thank you for posting this wonderful clip - susan sontag has been my intellectual hero/heroine since i discovered her essays as an undergraduate. definitely one of the top three american cultural critics of the 20th century...
fantastic photo montage ! the whole story of susan sontag's influence will not be realized for many years to come, but the type of debate, criticism and
style she created will live on. thank you for not posting those hideous post mortem pictures by annie liebowitz. i prefer to think of ms sontag still in the here and now. i'm not saying i'm against interpretation, but the empirical evidence suits me just fine.
Sandy, first congratulations for this post. It's really an enjoyable experience to see these wonderful photos of Susan, many of them taken by Anna Lou, marvelous song also. The book is from the 70's, so long before they met, I think it was in the 88 - 89, Susan wanted to be photographed for the cover of one of her books.
Gosh, you are right, I have a copy of it and really got the timeline wrong. If anything it shows she had a long standing fascination with photography well before she dated Annie. Thanks! p.s. what did you think of the book? Share your favorite quote. I'll share mine later.
Thank you for this Sandy. I find it interesting that Susan Sontag sought to be so widely photographed. She relishes in being a subject, while she defames photography to the core in her book, On Photography. Don't get me wrong, she was an amazing woman. However, I couldn't help but notice this grave paradox.
I'm not entirely sure that I see that she defames photography as much as analytically picks it apart! Honestly, as a photographer it's stimulating to read only words about the topic. I've never read a book that describes it so well, and unwinds it. It's what intellectuals do, they show us things we know but cannot put into words. Plus, I think she was very fascinated with photography. She was in love with Annie...maybe that inspired the book?
Vixenmusique, Susan Sontag did not defame photography. She made the world realize about the power of photography, more than anybody since the invention of the camera
her book regarding the pain on others is actually...'amazing'. generally i hate reading books of these sorts. Though she writes with such a good style and doesn't get to involved with the inhuman, alien words like Victor Burgin. god hes a TWAT
I'm sad because Susan is dead and I'm probably not the only one in this case... But what reassures me it is that she has had a very rich life and knew doubtless always exactly what she wanted, as her friend Annie Leibovitz whom I also like for a very long time. It is women who work for the other women, who they want him(it) or not, and for the good of the humanity.
I don't have the equipment to produce videos. However, I wish someone would post one celebrating American dynamic women authors of the 20th Century. That would include Ann Sexton, Sylvia Plath, Pearl S. Buck, Kate Chopin, Amy Tan, Grace Paley, and my all-time favorite author of crime fiction, Patricia Highsmith.
Thank you for posting these photos of Susan Sontag. I recall her mainly as the femme fatale who broke the heart of my favorite teacher, Philip Rieff. That was at UC Berkeley in 1959. He appears in one of the photos. His life was tragic too, and he dedicated his last book to her, shortly before he died.
Beautiful, simply! Thank you for knowing them.
jorggercarrero 1 month ago
Do stuff. Be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration’s shove or society’s kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It’s all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager.
—Susan Sontag
19friday55 1 year ago
i think person't character shows in the person's facial features, and hers are certainly very strong. as opposed to the blank prettiness of "stars" and such, her face says: i am a beautiful, strong, unique woman, don't mess with me :P
manatsunoshi 1 year ago
A lovely visual remembrance. Thank you for posting. (Although, she probably would have hated that music.)
JohnKoroly 1 year ago
thank you for posting this wonderful clip - susan sontag has been my intellectual hero/heroine since i discovered her essays as an undergraduate. definitely one of the top three american cultural critics of the 20th century...
chowchow0726 1 year ago
16 January
Happy Birthday!
You will never be forgotten...
Emersonireson 2 years ago 2
fantastic photo montage ! the whole story of susan sontag's influence will not be realized for many years to come, but the type of debate, criticism and
style she created will live on. thank you for not posting those hideous post mortem pictures by annie liebowitz. i prefer to think of ms sontag still in the here and now. i'm not saying i'm against interpretation, but the empirical evidence suits me just fine.
kurt11110 2 years ago
What a beautiful woman in all ways!
dancewomyn1 2 years ago
She is one of the greatest women in the 20th century!
Yen7584 2 years ago
thanks for your illegal harvest. beautiful photos!! ;D
jeanette1946 2 years ago
The Frank Sinatra song is great! Thank you for this!
NaturaCentralis 2 years ago
but it's Luther Vandross that's singing. Not Frank!
WEJq55 2 years ago
smart and beautiful
whitecubeproject 2 years ago
Smart and hot
pacoiec 2 years ago
Sandy, first congratulations for this post. It's really an enjoyable experience to see these wonderful photos of Susan, many of them taken by Anna Lou, marvelous song also. The book is from the 70's, so long before they met, I think it was in the 88 - 89, Susan wanted to be photographed for the cover of one of her books.
nini0999 2 years ago
Gosh, you are right, I have a copy of it and really got the timeline wrong. If anything it shows she had a long standing fascination with photography well before she dated Annie. Thanks! p.s. what did you think of the book? Share your favorite quote. I'll share mine later.
SandyWells 2 years ago
Thank you for this Sandy. I find it interesting that Susan Sontag sought to be so widely photographed. She relishes in being a subject, while she defames photography to the core in her book, On Photography. Don't get me wrong, she was an amazing woman. However, I couldn't help but notice this grave paradox.
vixenmusique 2 years ago
I'm not entirely sure that I see that she defames photography as much as analytically picks it apart! Honestly, as a photographer it's stimulating to read only words about the topic. I've never read a book that describes it so well, and unwinds it. It's what intellectuals do, they show us things we know but cannot put into words. Plus, I think she was very fascinated with photography. She was in love with Annie...maybe that inspired the book?
SandyWells 2 years ago
she met annie long after on photography was published
kurt11110 2 years ago
Vixenmusique, Susan Sontag did not defame photography. She made the world realize about the power of photography, more than anybody since the invention of the camera
pepi141 2 years ago 2
her book regarding the pain on others is actually...'amazing'. generally i hate reading books of these sorts. Though she writes with such a good style and doesn't get to involved with the inhuman, alien words like Victor Burgin. god hes a TWAT
bennyjohnhampson 3 years ago
Thank you for posting these wonderful photographs. I admire her forever
manyassl 3 years ago
I wonder if Sontag dug Vandross? I hope so.
dandiacal 3 years ago
who sings this song that is playing in the background?
WEJq55 3 years ago
Luther Vandross
SandyWells 2 years ago
Good for you Sandy Wells, Thank you for that.
dbmec 3 years ago
Hard to remember the intelligence and grace of Susan, she is at Peace!
Sefardisafrán
Hoboken nj
Sefardisafran 4 years ago 2
I'm sad because Susan is dead and I'm probably not the only one in this case... But what reassures me it is that she has had a very rich life and knew doubtless always exactly what she wanted, as her friend Annie Leibovitz whom I also like for a very long time. It is women who work for the other women, who they want him(it) or not, and for the good of the humanity.
MERIDIONALE 4 years ago
She's (was) beautiful.
nowiswow 4 years ago
even the weathered face makes her so brilliant! her heart shines bright, and she will always be there with us, forever
phoebeinrye 4 years ago
Wow, I NEVER THOUGHT to frame her as a literary Princess Di! It's like that Elton John song about her!
georgiacool 4 years ago 2
I don't have the equipment to produce videos. However, I wish someone would post one celebrating American dynamic women authors of the 20th Century. That would include Ann Sexton, Sylvia Plath, Pearl S. Buck, Kate Chopin, Amy Tan, Grace Paley, and my all-time favorite author of crime fiction, Patricia Highsmith.
BeatBuddy 4 years ago
Recently at a library sale, I bought a copy, for fifty cents, of AGAINST INTERPRETATION. I was awestruck by the brilliance of her intellect.
BeatBuddy 4 years ago
YES, 'Against Interpretation' is a work of rare genius. I'm so glad you liked it.
Topher286 4 years ago
Thank you for posting these photos of Susan Sontag. I recall her mainly as the femme fatale who broke the heart of my favorite teacher, Philip Rieff. That was at UC Berkeley in 1959. He appears in one of the photos. His life was tragic too, and he dedicated his last book to her, shortly before he died.
Fmbunyard 4 years ago