Mo Yan was recently interviewed by the Ta Kung Pao in Beijing. Photo by Ta Kung Pao reporter Zhang Baofeng
The article is rich and the pen and ink are flowing. If the novel is mo yan's carefully constructed ideological edifice, then calligraphy is the natural flow of his idleness. Recently, Mo Yan, a Nobel Prize winner and famous writer, was interviewed by the Ta Kung Pao in Beijing. He said, "From the perspective of artistic accomplishment, if a writer can only write novels, he only has some talents in this regard, or he is relatively single. Writers should have calligraphy, music, opera and other aspects of cultivation, it seems that they do not directly act on novels, but they can subtly function. ”
From Shimen to Anyang, from xingcao to oracle bones, in recent years, in addition to the dedicated creation of the study, Mo Yan has also stepped into the mountains and seas, stepping in all directions, leaving behind one calligraphy work after another. These works also provide a unique window into the writer.
Today, the public account "Two Bricks" has sent out nearly 100 "ink messages", most of which have more than 100,000 readers, and are popular with lovers of calligraphy, poetry and literature. Mo Yan said: "This makes us very confident and encouraged, and we will continue to make good use of this position to spread Chinese calligraphy culture and exert our own positive energy." ”
On January 16, 2022, "Two Bricks" published the latest "Ink News" - "Anyang Xuezi Yin Xu Ask Turtle". Among them, there is a couplet: "Standing on the ground and holding up to the heavens, ask God to ask the two laymen." The whole painting is written in a freehand and witty way. And the "two laymen" is the self-deprecation of Mo Yan and his close friend Wang Zhen.
A rare lyrical casualness
"Two Brick Ink News" is a public account jointly founded by the two people, which is used to publish Han Mo's works and related articles. Unlike Mo Yan's novels, the articles and calligraphy here are more or less lyrical, making it rare to see the other side of the writer. Mo Yan told the Ta Kung Pao reporter that learning calligraphy is an interesting activity, similar to playing chess and poker, and it is also very interesting. "I feel now that writing calligraphy is addictive. Especially when you touch a little doorway and feel a little progress, your interest will be greater. I used to joke that I was 'tickling my pen'. When I saw a brush, I wanted to pick it up and write it. Mo Yan said with a smile.
Speaking of the origin of the study book, Mo Yan recalled, "In 2005, I went to Japan to visit, and in order to send a little gift to Japanese friends, I thought of learning to write. However, in Mo Yan's view, it was not until 2019 that another trip to Japan allowed him to truly feel some of the true meaning of calligraphy.
That year, the National Palace Museum in Taipei did a calligraphy exhibition in Tokyo, and I heard that there was Yan Zhenqing's original handwriting. At that time, I rushed over with Mr. Wang Zhen. "Mo Yan said that although it was separated by thick glass, when he saw the original manuscript of the "Sacrifice Manuscript", he could imagine Yan Zhenqing's sad and indignant state of mind when he wrote it." Although it is only a small piece of paper less than two feet, it really makes me feel a lot. At that time, an idea appeared in Mo Yan's mind, "I also set up a public account about calligraphy?" After chatting with Wang Zhen, the two hit it off. In this way, the "two brick ink news" was born.
Speaking of the origin of the name "two bricks", it also has a lot of roots in Hong Kong.
In 2019, Mo Yan was scheduled to hold a calligraphy exhibition in Hong Kong. However, due to special circumstances, the exhibition could not be held as scheduled. However, a large electronic display screen of nearly 100 square meters at the entrance of the Hong Kong Cross-Sea Tunnel has already paid a deposit. "What about this?" Wang Zhen asked Mo Yan. In the end, the writer thought of a remedy, "I copied a poem by Li Bai, and Mr. Wang Zhen copied a poem by Du Fu and put it on this big screen for display." ”
The origin of "two bricks" with Hong Kong
Mo Yan is very popular in Hong Kong. The advertising agency decided to send another large screen to Mo Yan for free for a month. This screen is located in the Yue Wah Tower in Hong Kong. As a result, Mo Yan and Wang Zhen displayed more calligraphy works through these two electronic screens for Hong Kong compatriots to enjoy and comment. "When I got the name of gong (zhong), I thought, aren't these two big screens in Hong Kong two bricks, and this 'brick' also has the meaning of 'throwing bricks and attracting jade.'" Mo Yan said with a smile.
"Two Brick Ink Messages" is not only the world where Mo Yan and Wang Zhen send love to Han Mo, but also the pastoral of their poetry. Mo Yan told the Ta Kung Pao reporter, "From the perspective of artistic accomplishment, if a writer can only write novels, he only has some talents in this regard, or he is relatively single. Writers should have calligraphy, music, opera and other aspects of cultivation, it seems that they do not directly act on novels, but they can subtly function. ”
Nowadays, the "two bricks" have issued nearly a hundred "ink messages", "which also makes us very confident and encouraged, we will continue to make good use of this position, spread Chinese calligraphy culture, but also exert our own positive energy." To this day, Mo Yan still clearly remembers that when he was a child, he took big character class and he just started to take a brush. In his own words, "At that time, once a week, I didn't write a few words, but the ink was wasted a lot, on my face, on my hands, and on my body. Now, Mo Yan picked up the pen again, but poured ink into the hearts of more people.
Learning the rhythm of poetry helps to create
Mo Yanshu "Standing on the Ground to Seek Divine Union".
In the past ten years, Mo Yan has devoted himself to poetry, especially for the study of grammatical rhymes. "In the past, I also wrote oil poems. Feeling that Grammy was too difficult to learn and too constrained, I did not learn it. Later, under the criticism of readers, I felt the need to learn it. Mo Yan said with a smile.
In Mo Yan's view, only by studying the poetic grammar clearly can we understand how great the ancients were, and in the past, when they read Li Bai and Du Fu, they knew that their poems were good, but they did not know where and how good they were. If you understand the law, you can know what this good essence is. The poet's imagination, no matter how rich, is also limited, like a gymnast flipping his head on a balance beam, which shows his level of mastery.
"I believe that the study of Grammatical poetry is a compulsory course to inherit and inherit our great literary traditions. Even if you can't learn it very well, you must have a basic understanding. Mo Yan said that the law does not limit the creation, but will receive strict technical training.
"The tiger is also the spiritual totem of the Chinese nation"
Mo Yanshu "Three Tigers".
2022 is the year of the tiger, and Mo Yan also sent out a funny article "Tiger Tiger Tiger" in the "Two Brick Ink News". The content of this issue first posted the "tiger" character written by Mo Yan in 3 different fonts, and the 3 words have their own charm, as if they can make people feel the different faces of the king of the hundred beasts.
"The tiger is the king of the beasts, its roar makes the stars and moons tremble, the beasts are intimidated, its threat, its cruelty, it is the original meaning of its image, and the painter paints the tiger, and most of them show these aspects." However, there is also an aspect of kindness in tiger nature, which is mostly ignored by literati and painters. Mo said that if you paint the power of the tiger, the painter can also paint it, and if you draw the kindness of the tiger, the painter can't also.
Mo Yan believes that the compassion of Gai who wants to paint the tiger must first have a compassionate heart, which is compassion in the religious sense, not charity in the secular sense, which is the enlightenment after penetrating the mysteries of nature and understanding that all things are mutually eaten by each other in order to continue to evolve and live endlessly. At this point, it is known that all things depend on the equality of all beings. Although man is the primate of all things, he must also lower his body and grow with all things, and not because the tiger eats the weak and is evil, because there are more weak under the weak, but he is close to the tiger, because the kindness of the tiger can reach the kindness of man, and the human nature of the tiger is also common.
At the end of the article, Mo Yan wrote: It (referring to the tiger) is both a philosophy and a symbol, so the tiger and the dragon and the phoenix and the lin have become an important content of Chinese culture and the spiritual totem of the Chinese nation.
Poetry works reminiscent of Jin Yong
Jin Yong (left) and Mo Yan.
Mo Yan and Jin Yong, both famous writers in the Chinese language scene, also appreciate each other. In the 86th issue of "Ink News", Mo Yan sent out several poems and books to express his feelings of remembrance of Jin Yong.
"On the Sword and Whiskers, Talking about Poetry Will Confess the Heart--Writing the Ugly Union and Remembering Mr. Jin Yong's Abundant Glory in Jinghua" This work expresses Mo Yan's innermost literary pride. Next, one of the seven absolutes and one of the seven laws are all titled "Mo Yan composes a poem to remember Jin Yong". Interestingly, Mo Yan also attached a "Small Note on Changing Poetry" under the calligraphy work--"Although this poem is marked with 'oil', it is still written according to the seven laws." The jaw joins the sentence xia character and saves it with the fifth word of the sentence ,'meng'. The neck link came out with a hundred words to save it with the fifth word 'thousand' in the sentence, but this caused three consecutive peace taboos, so it was changed to 'Hong Kong Pearl Star moon companion, divine eagle hero phoenix singing'". A small note can be seen in the seriousness of Mo Yan's poetry and the importance of jin Yong.
In the hard study, in the face of hardship, not afraid of difficulties
Mo Yan's book "Pen God".
"Two Bricks and Ink News" among them, the first issue of "Pen God He Zai" is quite representative. This issue of "Ink News" first posted the word "Pen God" in Mo Yan's handwriting, which is majestic and has no lack of interest. Subsequently, it was a video that recorded the whole process of Mo Yan's creation of this work, and many netizens were attracted by this video and left messages to like it.
Next, there is a long article by Mo Yan, "Where is the Pen God". The article reads: "Looking at all things under the heavens, there are many in the name of God. Mountains have mountain gods, and rivers have river gods. The wind has a god, and the water has a god. Grain has a god. A hundred flowers have gods. There are also the gods of wealth, dionysus, trees, silkworms... The list goes on and on. ”“...... And the pen god is none other than General Meng Tian. However, Mo Yan also pointed out that "it is obviously inappropriate to regard General Meng Tian as the inventor of the brush, but it is credible to regard him as an improver of the brush making technology." ”
"Where is the raw flower magic pen?" Mo Yan asked himself in the article, "In the sun, moon, and stars, in the rivers and lakes, rivers and seas, in the flowers and birds, in the growth of thousands of trees, in metabolism, in looking up, in the cultivation of morality, in the valley of humility, in the flow of goodness, in hard reading and diligent study, in the fear of hardships, in the night and day, in the waste of sleep and forget to eat ..."
Note: Images are provided by the interviewee
Source: Ta Kung Pao