Recently, this blog passed its one year anniversary. And so, I thought that the most suitable post to write would be to take a step back and reflect on the very question of why I write, or particularly why I write here.
George Orwell, in his piece Why I Write, points out a few qualities that motivate writers everywhere.
He describes traits such as a desire to seek out truth, an urge to push the world in a certain direction, an appreciation of literary beauty, and, in all honesty, for the sheer purpose of one's own ego.
In a recent piece by the New Yorker entitled An Inspirational Letter to My Students, Roger Rosenblatt describes the art of writing to his students. True writing, he states, is not about selling more books, or about dwelling over the intricacies of style, whether one has used the right verb or adverb. Writing must strive for greatness, must form an opinion, and most of all, must be useful to the world.
I write for these reasons and more.
I write not because I see myself as the writer of a "China blog," a blog about China by some enlightened foreigner who can explain China to the world. Aside from hubris, opinion, a desire for greatness etc., I write because I believe (and hope) I represent a different opinion.
While I am close with both China and America, I do not belong in full to either one. I am not viewed as fully American or Chinese. At the same time, I do not need to defend one side against the other. So in a way, I have a certain degree of objective distance to both.
I view this as not a better opinion, or a more informed opinion. It is simply a different opinion. It may not be great, but hopefully, it is of use to this world.
And this, is why I write.
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