Discussions about "The Temptation of Gangdise" and avant-garde literature quickly spread throughout the "General Building".
“I feel that being ‘avant-garde’ should not be about formal skills, but creative ideas.”
Fang Yan patted Yu Hua on the shoulder.
“Teacher Fang, I still don’t understand.”
Yu Hua blinked his dazed little eyes.
"Take magical realism for example. The point is not magic, but realism."
Fang Yan said: "The reason why Latin American literature is magical is because of the cruel public opinion and publishing control in Latin America at that time. The writing is unclear and difficult to understand, but the magical realism imitated in China is pure and simple. It’s magic for the sake of magic, not realism.”
“Yes, many people don’t understand the fundamental reason for the birth of magical realism.”
Han Shaogong put it more directly. Most writers today, including avant-garde writers, basically do not understand foreign languages.
The understanding of Western literary genres relies entirely on the older batch of translators such as Xiao Qian, who have explored some techniques of modern Western novels from their translated novels. I lack a sufficient understanding of Western literary genres. So, How can we imitate and learn from others without making detours?
"Does Comrade Shaogong hate those who imitate foreign literature?"
Yu Hua heard a hint of disgust and disdain in his tone.
Han Shaogong shook his head, "I just think that even if we don't imitate those Western translation works, we don't have to use their techniques of long sentences, frequent paragraphs, boldfaces, and abandonment of punctuation marks. It's all on our own. The Chinese language system can also reform the style of novels..."
"This is the meaning of holding this seminar."
Fang Yan raised his tea cup to pay tribute to this pioneer of root-seeking literature.
Yu Hua felt that he was standing at a crossroads, and his intuition told him that what Teacher Fang and Han Shaogong said was not unreasonable.
But another path of avant-garde literature, which is full of mist, is full of temptations for me, because Kafka is magic realism.
“Don’t be so entangled.”
Fang Yan smiled, “Literary creation is personal first, and then the reader’s.”
Yu Hua hesitated, "But..."
"Pavant-garde literature has its shortcomings, but it also has its advantages."
Fang Yan said: "We don't have to fantasize about some kind of high-purity literature, or some kind of switching or copying civilization change. Civilization It is a river that always contains the old in the new, and the new in the old, or the old becomes the new, and the new becomes the old, reorganizing and recreating in a complex process. The reason why we want to discuss the West and the East. We only use them as creative resources.”
“I seem to understand a little bit!”
Yu Hua’s eyes lit up and he couldn’t help but sigh in his heart, Teacher Fang is truly a guiding light in literature for our generation! So amazing!
"Remember my invitation? Think about it carefully."
Fang Yan raised a smile and then prepared the charter for the next meeting. Avant-garde literature was just an accidental episode. The discussion in the next few days closely centered around root-seeking literature and Chinese culture.
My thoughts after reading "Farewell My Concubine" keep spreading out, and the topic becomes more and more grand.
This seminar lasted for six days once it started, from morning to night, during which no one went out to play.
There was no reception of any delicacies, but all the participating representatives were very excited and remained in a state of excitement until the end of the meeting. Although everyone joked that such a tiring meeting could no longer be held like this, they still enjoyed it. Drive on.
After all, whether it is writers or readers in this era, the love for literature has indeed reached the point of obsession.
As a result, Shi Tiesheng and others, who came to Hangzhou for the first time, bought a few souvenirs before leaving to show that they had been here.
The editors of literary magazines such as Li Xiaolin, Zhang Zhonge, and Ru Zhijuan unanimously feel that root-seeking literature alone is not enough to have representative literary works. More theoretical articles on literature and art are needed. Currently, there is only one in dialect. "The "Roots" of Literature" is not enough.
As a result, the participating writers expressed their opinions, and a bunch of articles on root-seeking literature were published.
For example, a series of commentaries such as Zheng Yi's "Crossing the Cultural Fault Zone", Zheng Wanlong's "My Roots", Li Hangyu's "Understanding Our "Roots"", Zhong Acheng's "Culture Constrains Humanity", etc. All the major newspapers and periodicals present were sold out.
"Shanghai Literature", "Contemporary", "People's Literature", "Harvest", "West Lake", etc., everyone has a share.
When these theoretical articles and meeting minutes of root-seeking literature were published one after another, it was tantamount to dropping a nuclear bomb into the literary world.
Following the "Beijing School" represented by Shen Congwen and Lin Huiyin, the "Yam Egg School" headed by Zhao Shuli, the "Lotus Lake School" led by Sun Li and Liu Shaotang, etc., China's serious literary field is about to give birth to a real A huge, brand-new literary genre.
Different from scar literature and reflective literature, root-seeking literature has a program, theory, and representative works...
Moreover, the founder of this literary genre is also recognized as the "talker" and "leader" by the members of the genre -
Fang Xiaojiang!
No!
When the root-seeking literary genre was born, dialect’s military rank and position had to be upgraded to a higher level.
You can no longer call me ‘Little General’, you must call me ‘Commander Fang’ or ‘Commander Fang’ from now on!
And this West Lake Conference is not only a small step forward for dialect alone, but also a big step forward for contemporary Chinese literature!
Dialects, root-seeking literature, and the West Lake Conference will all be recorded in the history of contemporary literature. In works such as "History of Contemporary Chinese Literature" published in the 21st century, this root-seeking literature organized by dialects is invariably mentioned The seminar made an objective Similar comments:
"The 'Westernization Conference' showed the very complex ideological state of Chinese writers, editors and critics at that time."
"On the one hand, they accepted Western modernism influence, while trying to influence Resisting "Western-centrism", on the one hand, emphasizing the importance of culture and even national and regional culture, while rejecting any retroism and conservatism, this is an important event in the history of modern and contemporary Chinese literature..."
"However, regarding the issue of 'how to comprehensively grasp the traditional national culture', that is, 'what kind of roots should literature seek?', root-seeking writers have fallen into disagreements in theoretical texts, and their different understandings of the 'roots' of literature reflect In specific creative practice.”
"The 'negative faction' headed by Han Shaogong, Gu Hua and others mainly reflect on the bad nature of traditional Chinese culture."
"The 'positive faction' represented by dialect advocates the goodness of culture. Roots, as well as change and progress in modern society."
"The two conflict with each other, and the development context of contemporary literature in the 21st century. Judging from the above, there is no doubt that the direction of dialect is correct. Because the 'negative school' violated the original intention of seeking the roots of literature, it gradually declined and disappeared."
"There is a cognitive illusion that this is the case. 'Root-seeking literature' is a literary genre that has brought glory to itself by relying on dialects!" (End of this chapter)