Several years ago I was fortunate to visit China three times. I made the trips in 2005, 2006, and 2008. On the first trip I was amazed at the incongruity between my expectations and the reality I found. Like others of my generation, I grew up during the cold war. I remember that my first passport stated explicitly that I could not travel to Cuba, … Continue reading China Galleries: Beijing
Several years ago I was driving in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin with a young friend who was newly arrived from China. It was her first time to the United States and she had been in the country for about a week. As we drove past a city park, which was empty, she turned to me and asked, “Professor Cottle, where are all the people? I don’t … Continue reading “Where are all the people?” — On The Use of Public Space
In this election season much has been made of the claim that China cheats economically, and because of this, we in the United States are worse off. Mitt Romney has made China’s cheating a major talking point of his campaign, and President Obama has recently filed trade violation actions against China at the World Trade Organization. For those who may not have followed these issues … Continue reading Who Benefits When China “Cheats”?
I take photographs and people often tell me they like the photographs I take. This is gratifying and I’m always grateful for any positive comments. I almost always like the photos that receive positive comments, but I notice that some of my favorites don’t usually evoke a response from others. Reactions to photographs, whether positive or negative, are highly individualized. All the so-called rules of … Continue reading The Commuter
Snapshots 