Sunday, February 05, 2006

The Journey is the Destination

So goes the defining quote associated with Dan Eldon: a photo journalist who was stoned to death by a mob reacting to the United Nations bombing raid on the suspected headquarters of General Mohammed Farah Aidid in Somalia, July 1993.

He was only twenty-two when he died but already he had quite a body of work behind him, both as a war photographer and as someone who had kept increasingly complex series of journals from a very young age.
After his death, his mother chose to publish a selection from his journals in a hardcover book titled 'The Journals of Dan Eldon'. I came across it years ago and have carried it with me where ever I've lived, finding it inspiring both for myself and for young people who need to see what is possible, in terms of narrating and/or living their own lives. Dan's life and ideas continue to inspire an international audience due to the efforts of those running the website dedicated to him.

An interesting man; an interesting life.

2 comments:

shashikiran said...

Thanks for suggesting the book! I ordered it on Amazon and look forward to receiving it.

Di Mackey said...

I hope you enjoy it shashikiran.
Dan's sister, Amy, also put together a documentary - asking what drives war journalists ... I saw it by chance while still living in New Zealand. I'm curious about what motivates them etc...

Mmmm, meanwhile I keep carrying my books with me as I move ... this time, from Turkey to Belgium, they cost me 220euro. :) I have more books than clothes as it happens.