Some sources report that worked for the Dutch colonial government before retiring and becoming a journalist, but Indonesian writer and literary critic Pramoedya Ananta Toer believes this illogical owing to Pangemanann's young age at his time of death; Toer does, however, allow for the possibility of Pangemanann having become injured in the line of duty, forcing an early retirement.
Despite tailoring the magazine to conservative local sensibilities, with fully clad models and articles such as an interview with dissident author Pramoedya Ananta Toer, the magazine's premiere issue on April 6, 2006 raised significant controversy.
Meanwhile, Pramoedya Ananta Toer in his biography of Tirto writes that Tirto was caught giving a prescription to a Chinese man who did not need it, leading to Tirto's expulsion.
Rush's own essays for the biographical project of the Ramon Magsaysay Award series include the biographies of Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Abdurrahman Wahid, Bienvenido Lumbera, Ravi Shankar, Veditantirige Ediriwira Sarachchandra, and Fei Xiaotong.