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edward yang's yi yi and the tender despairs of taiwanese family life

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The concept of a canon—a culturally sanctioned set of works, mostly older or “classic” in some way, and essential to one’s education as a cultivated, discerning individual—isn’t really in vogue right now. But I’ve always been quietly attached to it. I agree with certain criticisms of the canon: that what we consider canonical is usually drawn from an incomplete survey of the cultural landscape (mostly works by white men, mostly chosen by white male critics). And yet the idea that there are certain books, films, albums that are just better than most of what’s out there—and that encountering them can shape your tastes in distinctive and desirable ways—feels so obviously true. And so the name of this Substack, personal canon, is meant to capture both my antipathy and affection towards the idea. There’s so much out there to read, watch, listen to; how do you decide where to start? Through recommendations, from friends or critics—and in the process, sharpening your own sense of what great w

edward yang's yi yi and the tender despairs of taiwanese family life the tech worker turned Taiwanese New Wave filmmaker ✦ my anti-algorithmic year of cultural consumption Celine Nguyen Jan 14, 2024 44 10 13 Share The concept of a canon—a culturally sanctioned set of works, mostly older or “classic” in some way, and essential to one’s education as a cultivated, discerning individual—isn’t really in vogue right now. But I’ve always been quietly attached to it. I agree with certain criticisms of the canon: that what we consider canonical is usually drawn from an incomplete survey of the cultural

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