Wang Dewei: The history of literature must also tell the story of literature well

Text/Shu Jinyu

Wang Dewei

"Harvard's New History of Chinese Modern Literature" (up and down) is very different from the literary history we know. The history of Chinese literature in the conventional impression is a dangerous sitting, and it is the outline, but the history of literature brought to us by Wang Dewei is the star scattered in the night sky and the wonderful mussel beads in the deep sea.

He opened a different type of literature for readers. The scenery outside the window seems to be naturally free of charge, and every plant under sowing implies hard work. Even if a bush shrub or a detailed flow, there is the layout and intention of his grass snake ash line. He hopes that these scattered spots can be presented in a small view and gap between the veins and gaps formed by different time points, leaving the space of imagination, thereby presenting a lush literary world. In the middle, through one branch, one leaf, one flower and one stamen, it evokes our immersion, novelty, and even yearning for the world of grass and trees to make a conversation between life and nature, life and life. What interesting and beautiful realm should be!

Writing the history of literature in a very literary manner is almost a luxury. For many years, the literary history narrative has become a system, and Wang Dewey joined the 143 writers and composed of 161 articles. The unique literary history of literary history was discussed, and there were those who appeared in the statement. … From the beginning, he played the banner of telling the story of literature. Many writers were invited to join the history of literature. Wang Anyi wrote her mother Ru Zhijuan; Yu Hua wrote his story of turning over the wall at East China Normal University; Mo Yan wrote the meaning of reading and writing a novel today ... The literary phenomenon of Star Luo Yunbu flashed under Wang Dewei's magical command stick. The special style and light of wisdom, the pattern of literature and the historical space -time expansion infinitely.

The interview was about August 7. Wang Dewei does not use WeChat. Our communication method is telephone and email. Pressing 12 digits, entering the literary ocean built by an idealist.

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China Reading News: The publishing of "Harvard New Chinese Modern Literature" has been brewing for a long time?

Wang Dewei: It is indeed. I have a different experience because of the extensive contacts overseas during the study process. Many colleagues who have been enlightened in the Department of Literature have some confusion about the education of literature: the times, masters, sports ... are almost all of them, of course, these are very important. In fact, there are many levels and aspects of personal life, environment, and history. Literature is an imaginative career. The imagination is not a fascination with the sky, but the combination of reality. It is the creation of the experience of life itself. Said -Any discipline has a saying, condensed to the field of literature, and politely say that literature is a discipline of narrative. The academic and creativity of the total of Lin Lin is a very special level of literature. Editing the history of literature needs to be presented boldly.

Harvard's publishing company planned a series of "New Literature History" series, encouraging me to try and think in this area. Being "Harvard's New Chinese History of Modern Chinese Literature", I think in my heart to a reader of the non -Chinese world. If we say that Lu Xun is great, they probably know why, and the persuasion as an editor is important. I am not directly selling "Great Great and Great", but to present the moment of Lu Xun's life in the life of Lu Xun, let them know the greatness of Lu Xun, make them curious, and hope to read more works of Lu Xun.

In Harvard's "New Literature History" series, whether the character is great or small, standing in the node of time and standing in an equal position, the flow of history and time is fair to everyone. We choose and discuss the topic, hoping to radiate the complexity of literary history. No matter what the readers look like, at least let them know what literature looks like. Literature is a story. When I contacted more than a hundred authors, I said: Let's tell the matter clearly first, it is best to let readers read these 2,500 words and become interested in books. This is my method of entering the history of literature. "New Editor" may not be a textbook, but I hope to help in the field of promoting literary development.

Chunghwa Reading: Why does the "Chronicle" adopt? With the annual outline, will some writers be loaded into different times? What kind of pros and cons will this style bring?

Wang Dewei: "Chronicles" and "Chronicle" are actually from the rules of classical Chinese narrative. I have consciously used in this book -or at least hints -it is the fundamental form of the entire literary history of the history of literature. On the one hand, the historical events of different opinions on the surface finally return to the bottom line of historical flow. On the one hand Division from the historical view of contemporary deconstruction school. The focus of Chinese tradition and modern civilization on "literature" and "history" deserves us to continuously review and think.

General literary history emphasizes large narratives, and uses masters, classics, and events as a discourse for the transition. "Harvard's New Chinese History of Chinese Modern Literature" respects the historical view and authority of the large narrative, but it also pays attention to the unique energy manifested or covered, imagined or recorded when he encounters history. How to consciously highlight the "literature" nature of literary history, with a view to the historical writing of other disciplines, this is the primary challenge I face. Because of this, "New Editor" may not be accepted by discipline construction. Readers who are accustomed to the history of orthodox literature will inevitably feel lost.

The readers of the English version of Harvard Publishing Corporation set up the "New Editor" for the public, and the style is easy to read. The Chinese version of readers may have more understanding of many historical and literary events, and therefore have more expectations. The multi -focus narrative of this book may find it difficult to find out. However, I hope that this book will cause readers to have a diverse interest or debate of modern Chinese literature, and re -think the form and potential of "literature". two

China Reading News: You have said that "there is no late Qing Dynasty, how can you come to May 4th", this time stretching "modern" upward to the end of the Ming Dynasty, the "modern" in the book actually extended for nearly 200 years- How do you understand "modern"?

Wang Dewei: In fact, in the 1930s, Qi Wenfu and Zhou Zuoren stood back to late Ming Dynasty ("Harvard History History of Harvard" in the 1930s (the Harvard History History of Chinese Literature began); the Kyoto school in Japan regarded the Song Dynasty as the starting point of Chinese modern times as the starting point of Chinese modern times. Essence This kind of traceable approach can be infinitely derived, but it is precisely the myth I want to break: we no longer ask the late Qing Dynasty or the May 4th "whether" is the beginning of modernity, but to ask "why" at a certain point in a certain point in some time A certain discussion treats the late Qing Dynasty or May 4th as the beginning of modernity. For example, the "ramist" classics that advocated the restructuring and micro -righteousness of the Tuo Gu have been silent for thousands of years. In other words, our problems are no longer learned, but the test excavation.

"The Modernity of Repression" has been published for more than 20 years. Many of the incomplete arguments have been reinforced by those who came, and the late Qing phenomenon that was once regarded as the last flow actually led the contemporary trend. Since the 21st century, sci -fi novels have been greatly attracted worldwide. Looking back at the science fiction fever in the last 10 years of the late Qing Dynasty, it seems to be repeated. Of course, history will not be repeated. Comparing the past with the present or at any time, the significance is the action of creating history.

We can even launch another layer of dialectics with the proposition of "No Late Qing, why is there a May 4th?" The struggle of intellectuals is difficult to understand the twists and turns when they come. It is precisely because of the enlightenment thoughts brought by the May 4th Fourth Fourth that we were able to use the main "preconceived" position of the subject and re -see that the impulse to be buried in the imperial discussion of countless renovation opportunities was suppressed and returned. May 4th can be used as an era of charm, and May 4th is also an era of soul recruitment.

China Reading News: The lower limit of the history of Chinese modern and contemporary literature is "stopped by the fantasy of contemporary writer Han Song 2066". I wonder how you considered it? Can the virtual time of science fiction constitute history?

Wang Dewei: The time point of this book began in 1635 and ended in 2066. It did provide imagination and dialectics for the narrative of this literary history. Ancient topics have been problematic.

The time of the history of literature is full of timely "thickness", which is an example in 1935. That year, the cartoonist Zhang Leping (1910-1992 )'s comic "Three Mao Shi" was very popular; Qu Qiubai, who was the leader of the Communist Party, was arrested in Fujian, leaving "extra words" before the righteousness; movie star Ruan Lingyu (1910- 1935) Suicide has become the focus of the media; and farmers in Dingxian, Hebei, performed experimental dramas such as "Transition" and "Dragon King Qu" for the first time. The time of literature has tolerance for archeological style.

In 1971, California's "Angel Island Poetry" was the first time in the world, reappearing the tragic encounter of the 19th century. In 1997, Professor Sun Kangyi of Yale University finally understood the mystery of the Kuomintang's white horror 50 years ago. The time of literature can also reveal the mysterious reincarnation of fate.

In 1927, Wang Guowei (1877-1927) voted for himself. Chen Yinque (1890-1969) wrote inscriptions: "The spirit of independence, the idea of ​​freedom." 42 years later, Chen Yinque died of his death. elegy.

Finally, the history of literature is cast to the future. According to the science fiction writer Han Song, artificial intelligence swept the universe in 2066. In followed the Martian occupied the earth, the human civilization died, and it was like a drop in the sea. This is the history of "literature" in the future. It is probably only from the perspective of literary perspective that history may be impossible.

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China Reading News: What innovation do you think is the method of compilation in this way?

Wang Dewei: Or those who know this are dazzling and lively. I have to emphasize the doorway under the lively. The problems involved here are not only the content of the history of literature, but also the dialectical relationship between "literature" and "history". For a long time, we are studying the definition of narrow senses in the discipline system. The thesis category must talk about novels, new poems, drama, and prose. The writer is not outside the Lao Cao of Guo Maoba. Finding the root pioneers, over time, form a familiar narrative sound, and even the eight -stock tone is revealed. However, in the 21st century, if the history of contemporary literature in China still adheres to the norms since the beginning of the last century, and ignore the changes in the media, fields and genres that keep pace with the times, it will not be self -proclaimed.

China Reading News: Involved in literature, aesthetics, movies, drama, Internet poetry, etc., what are the uniform standards or principles for the selection of literary history?

Wang Dewei: The definition of "literature" in this book is no longer based on the formula, but the definition of "literature" that trys to summon Guangyi's "literature" — the traces of nature and the traces of considers, aesthetic production, qi, and culture. "Wen" not only refers to astronomical, Chinese, and humanities. In the context of recently, the material and medium of text are also what I care about. The "literature" in our disciplinary system was formed in the early 20th century, and it may be considered as modern invention. In the 21st century, the human environment we faced was different. On the premise of respecting the educational function and inheritance of the discipline system, we may wish to rethink the linkage relationship between "text" and "learning" and "history". This is to pay tribute to tradition, and also strive to push out new.

The diverse texts and phenomena contained in this book may also be fascinating. The handling of the text, subject matter, and media of various articles is even more diverse. From the late Qing Dynasty painting to contemporary online games, from the revolutionary enlightenment to the butterflies, from the speech of great men to the prison, from the red classics to the discrete narrative, differently, differently foot. Not only that, the style of the writer also has its own characteristics. According to the editor, each text is expanded from a specific time, text, utensils, and events, and then "it is itself". There is a discussion among the narrators, and there are those who appear to appear, and even the fictional scenarios. This is very different from the description of the history of systematic literature we are familiar with.

Nonetheless, most articles are still based on text -based literature to think about the various naming and renames of literature in the 20th century. The recognition of the formation of mainstream discussions, while others were ignored and depressed, and became the heavily accumulation or fault of literary examination and excavation.

China Reading News: What is literature and what is the history of literature? The process of reading "New Edit" is a subversion of a understanding of literature history. There are always some fresh feelings, and at the same time, there will be a reflection on criticism. What do you value most in "New Editor"?

Wang Dewei: Regardless of the position of the history of literature, the essay rate is self -contained. The importance of the "New Editor" unintentional Tang Turch -its sincerity is the cornerstone of this new "History of Literature". But I think that in addition, I may wish to consider the reason why the history of "literature" is different from the characteristics of other discipline history. We should re -show the "literary nature" of the connotation of literary history: the writing of literary history should be as conscious of text like the literary works we are concerned about. But my so -called "literature" does not have to be limited to aesthetic forms; what is literature and what is not literary judgment or appreciation, it is the product of history, and must be continuously prominent and examined. In this way, the authors of the "New Editor" deal with the inside and outside of the text with different styles, and strive to practice "literary nature", which is a conscious "writing" historical posture.

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China Reading News: How do you communicate with writers?

Wang Dewei: My work is very busy, and I am a restrained and conservative person. I really don't need so much information communication. I can't use my friends and students. Of course, the Internet era communication is very developed, Facebook, WeChat, QQ ... I do not join. Email is already rich, but not joining the community media instead makes life very simple. Just retreat. Students and friends think that I am ignorant, and I must not know this and the same. If there is important information, I will tell me through emails or telephones. Internal Consumption "] The next day I knew it -but I still feel fortunate that I did not be in the world of WeChat.

China Reading News: Research and literature for decades, read so much, and write so much. Do you have any discovery for the vitality of the writer?

Wang Dewei: This is wonderful. Some writers are red, the average is a flash, and some even fortunately don't write down. Some writers I saw his works in the middle and late stages, pinching him for him, and thought that it would be fine if he stopped at the peak of a certain year and a month; some writers Bao Dao was not old and endless. For example, Wang Anyi, I was surprised to her. The creative power is not necessarily a hundred points for each book, but it is basically a standard work, and it will never be limited. Creation is very time -consuming. The creative risk is very high, it is "performing art", which is like a face -to -face stage to perform on the stage of the text. As a researcher in the history of literature, I am a concentrated reader, that is, watching their works silently. I appreciate some writers for many years to temper, move towards professionalism, and experience and techniques of experience, like a craftsman who is excellent. Chinese and foreign.

China Reading News: You mentioned how the "New Editor" is concerned about how to re -give contemporary significance to the conversation between traditional Chinese "texts" and "history". Do you think you have reached your original intention?

Wang Dewei: I have repeatedly emphasized that the history of this literature has an experimental premise. It is not complete in the process of method construction or compilation, but "unfinished" and "in the world" are also one of the concepts of this book.

China Reading News: As a leading scholar engaged in the study of the history of modern and contemporary literature and literature in China, how do you think of the significance and value of Chinese literature in the world?

Wang Dewei: As a professor and scholars studying Chinese humanities, we must experience the complexity and energy of this traditional itself -or the energy I call "in the world". We do not need to be able to show a broader history and literary perspective of modern China.

Edit: Liu Qihan

Source: China Reading Newspaper

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