Summary

In “L'Appel du Vide,” Wang reflects on the life and work of photographer Francesca Woodman, who died by suicide in 1981 at age 22. Woodman was most well-known for her self-portraits, and Wang draws a connection between herself and the artist by explaining that she has taken photos of herself as a way of staying grounded during psychotic episodes. When she can see a photograph of herself, it is tangible proof that she exists. Woodman died by jumping from a window, and Wang recalls attending a meeting at San Francisco City Hall in which participants debated whether or not to install a “suicide net” (168) under the Golden Gate Bridge. Wang was in favor of the net. At the end of the essay, Wang notes that she is now over a decade older than Woodman was when she died, and expresses...