Chapter 239 Old-fashioned train bound for Chicago
I just arrived in Iowa today. There are still two days before the official start of the IWP project. It is an opportunity.
On participating in the award ceremony, Fang Minghua reported it to the leaders of the Writers Association during the training in Yanjing, and the leaders of the Writers Association reported to the relevant departments and finally got approval.
You must know that in this era, people sent abroad by public servants must strictly follow the predetermined plan and prescribed itinerary, and running around without permission is absolutely not allowed - first, the passports are collectively kept, and you can't run around if you want.
What’s more important is that once it is discovered that the minor will be punished with disciplinary sanctions, the more serious will be dismissed from public office!
Who knows whether you are going to see the scenery or preparing to betray the country and surrender to the enemy?
Many relevant departments approved it, and the Writers Association communicated with Iowa, so Fang Minghua got his passport smoothly.
"Dear Minghua, do you want me to accompany you to Chicago?" Lisa asked enthusiastically after learning about this.
Fang Minghua naturally knew that the girl didn’t have any other ideas, she was just enthusiastic, including calling him “Dear.”
“You’re welcome, Miss Lisa, the University of Chicago has My friend. They will pick me up." Fang Minghua replied with a smile: "But I would like to ask you to take me to see Professor Nie Hualing tomorrow morning."
How can I come to Iowa without meeting the project organizer?
"OK, no problem." Lisa agreed: "I will contact Professor Nie now."
When they got up the next morning, Zhang Xianliang and Zhang Ling went to the fast food restaurant as usual After eating hamburgers, Fang Minghua followed Lisa to see Nie Hualing.
Going to a Chinese restaurant by the river downstream, he met Professor Nie Hualing, sitting at a table facing the river. There was a small waterfall outside the window, which looked very poetic.
The table is also filled with ingredients that Fang Minghua is very familiar with - three steamed buns, three bowls of white rice porridge and three plates of side dishes!
"Mr. Minghua, please take a seat." Nie Hualing stood up and greeted with a smile.
"You're welcome, please." Fang Minghua said quickly.
Fang Minghua has already learned about Nie Hualing. He is from Hubei and his ancestral home is Guangshui, Suizhou. He was born in Wuhan in 1925 and graduated from Nanjing Central University.
In 1949, he went to Taiwan with his family. He was once an editorial member and literary editor of "Free China".
Performed editorial work with Hu Shi, Mao Zishui, and others. He lived in the United States in 1964, taught at the University of Iowa, and was engaged in writing and painting at the same time. He is a very respectable person because he founded the International Writers Writing Project. old man.
The old man's younger brother is also awesome, the famous physicist Nie Huatong, the first director of the Center for Advanced Research of Tsinghua University founded by Mr. Yang Zhenning
The three of them sat down and chatted while eating.
"Mr. Minghua, I have heard that the article "Country Teacher" you wrote was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Short Story. Although our research and communication are pure literature, for popular literature such as science fiction We are not exclusive. It is quite good to be nominated for the Nebula Award."
"Thank you,"
"I heard that in the past two years, you have restricted some literary themes, including science fiction. How is the writing and publishing situation now?" Nie Hualing asked with concern.
"Now that everything is relaxed, you see, my novel can be published in the United States." Fang Minghua said with a smile.
"That's right. Isn't it proposed long ago that a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend."
The two chatted and then talked about avant-garde literature. Nie Hualing said again: "You are recommended by the Mainland Writers Association. When I came here to study and exchange, Chairman Palladium specifically mentioned that you once took a class on avant-garde literature at Northwest University in Xijing, and said that the lecture was very good." It’s just a personal opinion.” Fang Minghua was very modest: “After all, avant-garde literature, this writing technique originated in Europe and the United States.” It will become different. After all, there is another name - experimental novel."
The two chatted very enthusiastically, and the breakfast lasted for more than an hour.
Lisa sat on the edge and listened carefully, looking at this and that without saying anything.
After breakfast, Fang Minghua politely said goodbye and returned to the hotel.
“Dear Minghua, I rarely see Professor Nie having such an in-depth conversation with a person. She is always very busy. On the one hand, she has to teach university students and on the other hand, she also organizes trainings.” Lisa followed behind.
"Really? I thought Professor Nie and others were like this too. Maybe it's because I am Chinese?" Fang Minghua answered with a smile, paused and then said:
"Miss Lisa, can you do me a favor?"
"I am willing to help you." "Can you find a car to take me to the train station? The chat with Professor Nie took a bit long. I am afraid that I Can’t catch the train.”
“OK, no problem!”
Within a few minutes, the girl drove Fang Minghua to the train at lightning speed. stand.
After buying a ticket, entering the station, and finally when the train blew its whistle, Fang Minghua rushed onto the train carrying his travel bag.
It was only over 200 kilometers from Iowa City to Chicago. Fang Minghua decided to take the train alone, enjoying the scenery of central America and Lake Michigan along the way.
When Fang Minghua got on the train, he suddenly felt regretful.
After all, it is the most developed American train in the world. How come it is not as good as the domestic green train?
The old-fashioned train has a relic of the 19th century. It is actually burning coal, and it spurts out steam!
And the chairs are uncomfortable, even more uncomfortable than taking the domestic green train.
However, there were not many people on the train. The United States was originally a kingdom of automobiles. Or when taking a plane, there were fewer people on the train, which made him feel more comfortable.
Taking domestic trains is really too crowded.
Also, the scenery outside is nice.
It is summer now, and there is a pleasant smell of burning in the wilderness. The sun bakes all mature things even more mature. The yellow maple leaves are mixed with the ocher oak leaves, burning all the way to the horizon.
It felt very comfortable. Fang Minghua was so relaxed and happy that he couldn't help but hum an American country ballad.
WhenIwasyoung
(When I was young)
I'dlistentotheradio
(I like listening to the radio)
Waitingformyfavoritesongs
Waiting for my favorite songs
When they played I'd singalong
When they played I'd sing along
Sung by the Carpenters "Yesterday Once More" (Yesterday Once More) has been covered by singers from many countries and languages.
Hong Kong singer Priscilla Chan and mainland singer Yao Siting have both covered this English song.
This song was popular throughout the mainland in the 1990s, so Fang Minghua can also sing it.
The train stopped for a while in Davenport, Michigan. Three young people, two women and one man, got into the carriage and sat across from Fang Minghua, chatting happily.
Listening to their chat, they were students at Ambrose Private University in Davenport, and they also rushed to Chicago to attend the Nebula Awards ceremony.
"Jack, guess which novel will win the prize tonight?" A girl with waterfall-like golden hair and flaming red lips asked the tall young man next to her.
This young man named Jack has short blond hair. He listened to his companion's question, pondered for a moment and then said: "Emily, I think the novel should be "Neuromancer". The "cyberspace" created in the book It’s so charming.”
“As for the short and medium stories, Octavia Butler’s “The Blood Child” is very good, and of course the other “The Killer from Mars” is also very good, they are almost equally good. ."
"Jack, don't you think the article "Country Teacher" written by the Chinese is very amazing?" The girl put forward her own different opinion.
Hearing the other party talking about the book he wrote, Fang Minghua turned his face slightly and glanced at the other party.
(End of this chapter)