Dear readers,

I just found out that on May 23, 2006 Shawn Matthews, a person I have never met but whose writing touched me and so many others, committed suicide by jumping off the roof of his apartment building in Beijing, China.

I am compelled to write this note as an addendum to his book page since he was such a fantastic writer and blogger. Easily one of the best authors I've seen published on Lulu and in the independent press, his talent and passion for writing, his impeccable sense of humour, and his ambition for depicting life overseas will be missed by so many. People who knew him in person or knew him merely through his work, both in print form and in his blogs, will never forget Shawn.

Today I shed a tear for someone I wish I had the privilege to know, someone whose lost potential is too great to be described in words alone.

Goodbye, Shawn. I hope your work will be read for many years to come.

I was pleasantly surprised when this book arrived – it packs so much information and detail that it turned out to be worth every penny. Shawn’s writing is seamless; I already expected a decent read but the quality of the writing, which can be so rare these days, really did impress me.
This book is packaged very well and meticulously edited. It could hold its own on the shelves of a regular bookstore.
Shawn, you make me want to write about my own experiences as a teacher in Seoul a few years back. One of the things I loved most about your novel Island of Fantasy (which is included in this volume) is how you managed so successfully to replicate the English-speak of Korean teaching staff and people in general. I cringed at the grammatical horrors and pronunciation nightmares; I laughed out loud remembering all my conversations with students and people on the street. You definitely made me relive all those moments of trepidation and wonder, exasperation, stress and novelty, the foods, colours and imagery. And of course, all the paradoxes that punctuate life as an expat in Korea.

It was a great idea to update it by including the blog. Thanks for wrapping all of it up in this book.

Elisa Hatigan, author of
Remnants of Sunlight
Removing the Mask