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Sex tales from the front
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by Nick Knezevich and Nathan Pier
Thursday, April 4, 2002
Graduation is right around the corner for some UW students and many of them do not know what they are going to do a month after commencement, let alone for the rest of their lives.
Just imagine for a moment, at this vital stage in life, being presented with a choice: Either find a job that pays enough money for the traditional college diet of Ramen noodles and light beer or accept an invitation to one of the world’s most dangerous places — for the same paltry wage, of course.
Deborah Copaken Kogan was faced with this decision and chose the second option. After graduating from Harvard, she chose to put herself out in the world to find out what was at the heart of photojournalism. In the process, she learned a great deal about herself not only as a photojournalist, but more importantly, as a woman and a human being.
Going from the ivy walls of Harvard to the treacherous mountain terrain of Afghanistan in only a matter of months, Kogan’s decision to get out and see the world through the lens of her camera had a profound effect on her character. Not only did she discover firsthand that war is not only terrible and tragic, but also that people of different origins are not so different after all.
The author commented on her early experiences in photojournalism, “A lot of being a good photographer is being young and willing to put yourself out there with the camera. I think that as you get older, you have less gumption and desire to stick a camera in someone’s face.”
The trials that she encountered in Afghanistan, Russia, Romania, Zimbabwe and other hot spots were not limited to the dangers of war and political unrest; they included many personal challenges and conflicts as well. As if having the stress of being in a war zone was not enough, Kogan had to face gender stereotypes, muggings, beatings to the point of losing consciousness, rape and other issues while working in an already dangerous and demanding environment.
In the end, Kogan came through more or less in tact and quickly and happily transitioned into family life. Living in New York with her husband and two young children, Kogan finds happiness in the everyday joys of spending time with her family. Content with the lifestyle of wife and mother and no longer interested in risking her life day in and day out for a living, she explains, “My family is really what nourishes me and makes me feel like there is a reason to live. Once you have responsibilities as a parent it is unfair to run off and put yourself in peril”.
Along with this dedication to her husband and two young children came a new responsibility that compelled her to give up her life of hopping from one war zone to the next. Realizing new responsibilities and the importance of her family but still feeling compassion for the victims of war, she commented about a recent humanitarian aid trip to Pakistan to visit Afghan refugees with her son.
“I looked around at the journalists and I just thank God I am not doing that anymore. I am much happier here reading Harry Potter to my son, going out during the day to give money to schools and to go to refugee camps to hand out toys rather than aching to get to a place [where] I put my life in peril.”
When reflecting on her past, Kogan does not show remorse or regret over her personal history but rather feels the book was a vehicle that allowed her to heal some of the wounds that she suffered, including the loss of beloved friends and being raped.
When asked about the process of writing about these trying events, she replied candidly, “I cried when I was writing about [the rape]. Writing is certainly a form of therapy. So in the same way if I had gone to a shrink and told her the story of the rape, living through it again and in the re-telling, you kind of exorcise it from yourself. At this point I can say, ‘oh yes, that rape,’ and not feel so badly anymore, whereas before I wrote the book it was something that I never talked about and tried not to think about. I now feel like I can take the years as a photojournalist, put it in a box, tie it up in a bow, put it in the closet and know it’s there and not have to delve into it anymore.”
Kogan’s book is a real eye opener and offers a new perspective for college-aged people who are getting ready to find their own ways in the real world. The highly entertaining conversational tone, the honest and candid manner in which she discusses sexual encounters and, most of all, the compelling story of a young life in transition make this an important book for students who are uncertain of their futures.
Although Kogan’s lifestyle is obviously not for everyone, there is something valuable in the notion that a young person coming right out of school does not have to enter the daily grind right away. Certainly, Kogan proves it is possible to go out and do something that you are passionate about and then worry about making money off of it later on in life.
Kogan will speak and show slides from assignments in Pakistan and Afghanistan today at The University Book store, 711 State Street, at 6 p.m.
