A Broad and Ample Road

A Broad and Ample Road

The Island Mother: Guest Essay by Sara Protasi

Plus, our toddler loves this classic Taiwanese book about mung beans; and our upcoming book club on Claire Messud's THIS STRANGE EVENTFUL HISTORY

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Broad and Ample Road
Jul 21, 2024
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Arriving in Taiwan at dawn. Photo: guest essayist Sara Protasi

Today we’re honored to share this lovely and resonant guest essay by Sara Protasi, who describes her time in Taiwan during the pandemic. Born and raised in Italy, Sara is a philosopher, dancer, writer, and mother. She met her husband, who is from Taiwan, when they were studying philosophy in the United States; they both teach at the University of Puget Sound. We had the delight of meeting them within the first months of arriving to Taiwan. Sara’s the author of The Philosophy of Envy (listen to her talk about the book here and here). If you’re new to Sara’s writing, read her provocative essay “Love your frenemy,” which describes how love and envy co-exist, as well as her exploration of the many sides of envy and the myths of love.

Before we forget: Michelle has two upcoming events in Taipei. She’ll be in conversation with Katherine Chang at Bookman Books on Saturday, August 17th at 14:00 to 15:00; registration here. On Sunda…

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