Susan Sontag, Writer and Witness

Giles, Patrick, National Catholic Reporter

For Susan Sontag, who died of leukemia Dec. 27 at 71, writing was the very heart of her life. It's a measure of how large and generous her heart was that so much of her criticism, journalism and fiction not only investigated how art and language work but also bore witness to the events she experienced and spoke up about. War, freedom, the burden of history and the responsibility of truth--these were her great themes, analyzed, polemicized, dramatized in 17 books published over 40 years in more than 30 languages.

"I don't want to express alienation," she once insisted in an interview. "It isn't what I feel." This was a remarkable admission from a member of the generation that led the fight for civil rights, paid a bloody price for America's ambitions in Vietnam …

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: Susan Sontag, Writer and Witness. Contributors: Giles, Patrick - Author. Magazine title: National Catholic Reporter. Volume: 41. Issue: 10 Publication date: January 7, 2005. Page number: 15. © 2009 National Catholic Reporter. COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group.

This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.