Susan Sontag

Date of Birth: January 16, 1933

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

Date of Death: December 28, 2004

Biography

Susan Sontag was an American writer, filmmaker, philosopher, teacher, and political activist. She was born on January 16, 1933, in New York City. Sontag is widely regarded for her essays and works of fiction, which often delve into themes of modernism, illness, photography, and cultural theory. She first gained prominence with her 1964 essay “Notes on ‘Camp’,” and her 1977 book “On Photography” won the National Book Critics Circle Award for criticism. Sontag’s works have been translated into numerous languages, and she has been celebrated for her intellectual rigor and eclectic interests. Besides her literary career, she was also known for her political activism, particularly during the Vietnam War. Sontag passed away on December 28, 2004, in New York City.

5 Interesting Facts about Susan Sontag

1. Susan Sontag was awarded the Jerusalem Prize in 2001, an award given to writers whose work deals with themes of human freedom in society.

2. She directed four films, including “Duet for Cannibals” (1969) and “Brother Carl” (1971).

3. Sontag was openly bisexual and had relationships with both men and women throughout her life.

4. She survived cancer twice, battling breast cancer in the late 1970s and uterine cancer in the 1990s.

5. Sontag was a vocal critic of the Iraq War and wrote extensively about her opposition to the conflict.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Susan Sontag

1. “The only interesting answers are those that destroy the questions.”

2. “Interpretation is the revenge of the intellect upon art.”

3. “The past itself, as historical change continues to accelerate, has become the most surreal of subjects—making it possible to see a new beauty in what is vanishing.”

4. “Illness is the night-side of life, a more onerous citizenship.”

5. “One of the main functions of art is to make us feel that we are not alone.”