Home > Author > Joshua Samuel Brown
1 " Grandfather Shi must have loved Ita Thao. His relatives were certainly making his last hours there memorable ones. Though the ceremony did not have strippers (at least none that we saw), there was no shortage of other elements designed to produce 'hot noise' that's an indispensable feature of any Taiwanese funeral. Designed to celebrate the life of the deceased and ensure their smooth passing into the next world, Grandfather Shi's hot noise included gongs mixed with rigorous Buddhist chanting, pop music, karaoke, and later, a live band complete with drummers and an accordion. All of this was taking place under a covered tent set up in the alleyway next to the Cherry Feast Resort, where we'd booked a three-day stay in advance. "
― Joshua Samuel Brown
2 " Once it drew me into its gravity, this strange and alien land I’ve chosen to call home for long stretches has been the one true constant in my life. Taiwan has granted me a near-constant reprieve from my most feared nemesis, boredom, but at times she’s driven me half-mad. Taiwan has been my muse, the source of inspiration for much of my creative output as a writer, while at the same time never quite letting me forget that the language in which I write is not the lingua franca of the place about which I write. I have loved Taiwan for nearly all of my adult life. At times this love has shone as brilliantly as the moon over Kenting during the Mid-Autumn Festival, at others far less brightly, like a crescent moon during the long rainy season in Taipei,…. So when I sang it was this love for Taiwan, waxing and waning, but always present, that I felt. "
― Joshua Samuel Brown , Formosa Moon
3 " Yuraw thought for a moment before saying that he would like to sing us a song. I was totally delighted as the deputy chief of Smangus began singing to us in his own language, drawing pictures in the air with his hands of mountains, rivers, and trees. His voice was strong and deep, and the fire pit glowed a dull red as the darkening sky wrapped around us. The love he felt for his community was palpable and for a moment the area transformed into a timeless space where the remoteness seemed the only thing in existence. "
