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This was a day of book shopping and various other getting-going activities. Dan and I met and tried to go through everything we still need to do, in particular interviews. However, we also had an interesting conversation about writing in public places in pre-modern China. Dan asked why we don’t really have models for emulation the way that “good” widows who did not remarry were commemorated with arches at the entrance to villages etc. Joan of Arc, whom we discussed, seems more like a legendary figure than someone every girl would aspire to emulate, no matter how heroic she was. We also talked about who decides to put up an arch to widows or a sign saying that your household has someone who came first in the civil service exams. Dan said that she thought not only was this something that had to be approved by the government, but also that the arches and signs were themselves paid for by the local government. That latter point was not one I had thought of before. I think the genealogy will distinguish between different eras and types of public writing according to the type of message, who sanctions it, who pays for it, etc.

This evening, I walked by the restaurant with the screens again. It’s a Teppanyaki place. I noticed tonight that of the 3 screens facing the window, only 2 were turned on, and that they had different things screening. Also, they were turned off during the day and the early evening, when there were no customers in there. Not sure why. Is this to save electricity (c.f. some of the comments in Zlatan’s report on the Edgware Road again)? Tomorrow is a day I help promote Goldsmiths, so maybe I won’t have so much to report…

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