The Wus

About the Book

Beggars in Shanghai Most disagreeable was when, on the way to school, we had to walk around beggars on the sidewalk frozen or starved to death overnight.

Religion/Politics I’m always asking: “What’s the difference between religion and superstition? And between political fund-raising and bribe soliciting?”

World Economics Around the world, the poor gets poorer and languishes without hope while the rich gets richer and lavishes without guilt.

Another Kind of Pollution The visual pollution generated by commercial billboards is the kind which a civilized society should never have tolerated.

Eulogy to Tony I told Gloria about my brother Tony before they got married, that she had a saint on her hands. Latter events, including Father’s as well as Gloria’s long illness, proved that I did not exaggerate.

'54 Plymouth Coupe The detective told us that the body of the murder victim was transported in the very same car we rented for our honeymoon. Of course, the cops found my name and address in the suspect’s apartment.

Chang Zhou Hotel, Shanghai Looking down at the rear garden from our room I saw a bunch of rowdy Japanese soldiers playing a game with a smallish ball, oversized gloves and mean-looking bats. I did not realize that I had just witnessed Japan’s national sport: Baseball.

Trevanian: “He felt utter disdain for... the merchants who are responsible for all that is kitsch, that is change without progress, and that is consumption without use.”

Massimo Vignelli: “The life of a designer is a life of fight: fight against ugliness.”

About the Author

Ted Wu, the eldest son of Tseng-Yu’s second marriage, is a retired architect and graphic designer. Born 1933 in Shanghai Ted started his architectural education at the University of Hongkong. Transferred to the University of Brasil in Rio de Janeiro, he received his degree there in 1957. After graduation he worked on the new capital Brasilia, under Oscar Niemeyer.

In 1958 he married his Brazilian wife Iracema (Mia)and had two daughters, Dafna and Debora. He then studied at ESDI (Escola Superior de Desenho Industrial)for a degree in Industrial and Graphic Design before emigrating to the United States in 1967.

Prior to starting his own practice he worked at the Office of Charles and Ray Eames and taught at the Art Center College of Design. He and his family have been living in Los Angeles where their third daughter Lena was born. Ted maintained a design oce there from 1971 until his retirement in 2003.

Photo above: The author, 2015 (By Jessica Fraser).