Editor's Note
Creation and criticism, such as the wings of a bird, the axle of a car. The development of literary creation is inseparable from the prosperity of literary criticism and the efforts of generations of literary critics. In 1998, the Southern Literary Circle launched the "Critics Today" column, which has introduced more than 100 critics so far. Critics of different personalities speak "my view of criticism" with their sharpness, talent, and agility, and hundreds of articles have accumulated to form a sensitive, vivid, and full of vitality and talent.
Now the China Writers Network has re-launched these articles to share with you, so stay tuned.
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Critics of the day
Fu Yichen (Filmed in 2014)
Fu Yichen, whose real name is Fu Qiang, was born in Anshan, Liaoning Province in August 1983, graduated from the Department of Literature of the People's Liberation Army Academy of Arts, with a master's degree in literature and art; he is currently the chief editor of the literary and art criticism edition of the People's Liberation Army Daily, a member of the Military Literature Committee of the China Writers Association, a visiting researcher at the China Modern Literature Museum, and a director of the China Reportage Literature Society; he is the author of the theoretical monograph "Nirvana of Heroic Discourse", the commentary collection "Reconstructing Heroic Narrative", "The Transmutation of Narrative", "Literary Field: Cross-Examination and Questioning- New Note Body Criticism", the long-form documentary literature "Long Voyage", the picture book "The Journey", the picture book "The Journey" The Most Beautiful Voice" and other works, edited "The New Generation of Military Writers" Face View" and "New Highland Military Travel Literature Series"; he has won the Mao Dun Literary Newcomer Award, the Outstanding Achievement Award of Contemporary Chinese Literature Research, the "Zijin People's Literature Star" Literary Award, the China Federation of Literary and Art Criticism Award, the All-Army Literary and Art New Works Award, the "Woodpecker Cup" Chinese Literary and Art Criticism Annual Excellent Work Award, and the "Contemporary Writers Review" Excellent Paper Award.
My view of criticism
Criticism of the times
Fu Yichen
"Pen and ink when the times" is shi Tao's ordinary painting in the early Qing Dynasty, but more than 200 years later, it has become a kind of art concept that Chinese modern and contemporary artists regard as the standard, as well as the most reasonable saying of advocating artistic innovation. However, how did pen and ink change with the times, with what era? Does this "pen and ink" refer to the techniques and forms of Chinese painting in the narrow sense, or does it refer to the spirit and connotation of Chinese painting in general? Different interpretations make the appearance and direction of Chinese painting very different. Of course, I am not talking about Chinese painting here, but I want to transplant Shi Tao's concept of painting into the current literary criticism.
Literature and the times are extremely complex existences, but literature and the times are not an isomorphic and homogeneous relationship in thought and spirit. Literature may be synchronized with the times, may be ahead of the times, or may be backward or even paradoxical. Literature has the distinction between advanced and degenerate, and the era also has the difference between light and darkness, in this sense, I think it is not possible to simply understand Shi Tao's "pen and ink with the times" as "following" the times, effectively intervening in the times, expressing the times and even leading the times may be closer to the original meaning of Shi Tao. Therefore, when facing literature and the times, literary criticism can neither be separated from literature and be in the air in the spirit of the times, nor can it be confined to literature and ignore the spirit of the times, and the difficult and complex state of literary criticism is born. I dare not make any false assertions about Chinese literary criticism since the 1990s, but my feeling is that western literary theories and critical methods of the 20th century have not been transformed, resulting in a serious dislocation with literary creation. In other words, there is no real and effective participation in the process of Chinese literary creation. I understand that literary criticism is a more literary ontological meaning of literary theory and literary history, its position is at the forefront of literary creation, its value lies in directly participating in the process of literary creation and literary thought, of course, it will provide the most realistic basis and interactive motivation for literary theory and literary history. The height reached by Western literary theory and criticism methods in the 20th century cannot be questioned, but the "rigid set" in specific criticism practice has made The Chinese literary creation in the past 20 years fail to truly absorb its extraordinary achievements, not only unsatisfactory, but even incompatible. This is not to exclude the study and reference of Western 20th-century literary theory and critical methods for four years, but to say that the results of rigidity can only make the contemporary literary criticism community revel in itself or entertain itself without the attention of writers and the participation of readers. It can also be said that criticism has not been contemporary.
Another of Shi Tao's sayings is "The painter is from the heart", that is, thoughts, spirits and emotions are the most important. Literary criticism ignores the writer's vivid creation and the development of the times, but is confined to the academic system and academic norms, or immersed in a certain set of theoretical criticism systems and discourses, how can such criticism be called "contemporary"? For example, the famous painter Mr. Huang Yongyu's autobiographical novel "The Wandering Man on the River without Worry", which was serialized in the first issue of "Harvest" in 2009, has been more than three years now, and there has not been much critical attention. Of course, there may be a certain factor with the dragon seeing the beginning and not the end, but the complete long talk can be absent, essays, a certain aspect of the feeling ah or something should still have it. Critics, in addition to being able to speak to themselves in a certain set of theoretical criticism systems and discourses, are indifferent to such a novel, which on the one hand shows that Chinese critics have lost their sensitivity to literature, and on the other hand, they do not have the temperament and weather to lead literature and the spirit of the times. Some writers humbly say that they are code words, and code words are creative words; can such critics say that they are code criticism words? Three years ago, I casually wrote this impression in that issue of the magazine: "This novel is written too authentically, the narrative language, the writing of scenes, the description of characters, customs, slang and many other aspects have fulfilled the spirit of classical Chinese literature, especially the character portrayal is more literary skill, only a few words are used, and the sound and smile have appeared." I think that few Chinese novels in the past hundred years have reached such a skill. Finally, not long ago, I saw that in the 2nd issue of "Southern Literature", Zhou Limin mentioned this novel in a dialogue, and the views coincided with mine. Here we can not only glimpse the artistic sensitivity and appreciation of literary critics, but also reflect the responsibility and obligation of literary criticism - to construct ideals and spirits that represent the direction of social progress in the interaction with creation.
Harold Bloom said that "imaginative literature lies between truth and meaning", which provides a broad space for literary criticism to interpret. The most important thing about what I call "literary criticism of the times" is to lead writers and literature, actively participate in literary creation and the construction of the spirit of the times, and influence writers and readers with their own moral ideals, and then affect the direction of the development of the times. Literary criticism cannot be integrated with the times in which it is located, and it is impossible to participate in the construction of the spirit and ideals of the times with its own thoughts and spirit, and such literary criticism is certainly not good literary criticism, let alone great literary criticism. Mo Yan has already won the Nobel Prize in Literature, which in any sense represents the achievements and heights of contemporary Chinese literary creation. But what about criticism? To put it more harshly, I am afraid that I am not even qualified to dialogue with the world. Learning can be taught, but it is difficult to criticize, because criticism must be "from the heart."
The article was published in Southern Literature Journal, No. 1, 2014
Critic Impressions
Impressions· Crossing "Fu Yichen."
- Start with the absence of a meeting
Zhu Xiangqian
An absent meeting
At 2:30 p.m. on May 13, 2013, the "Seminar on Young Creative Series and Post-80s Critics" jointly organized by the Innovation and Research Department of the China Writers Association, the Theoretical Criticism Committee and the China Museum of Modern Literature was held in Beijing as scheduled. I was absent in Beijing.
Although in recent years, I have often slept in the small courtyards in the mountains of my hometown in Jiangxi, one is to enjoy the sweet air of green mountains and green waters, and the other is to deliberately avoid meetings and fade out of the rivers and lakes. But this meeting is different, it is the object of six post-80s critics, the youngest of whom is my student Fu Yichen. Therefore, when Yue Wen of the Creative Research Department of the Writers Co-creation and Research Department informed me in mid-April, although I was admitted to the 301 Hospital with a small illness for the first time, I still happily agreed. I thought there was still a month to go, when there was no problem. It is regrettable that the time was delayed due to the results of the last review.
Therefore, I am particularly concerned about the reports on the conference, and I have read the summary of "Young Critics Growing" (May 20, 2013) of "Literature and Art Daily" and "Post-80s Critics" of Jin Tao of China Art Daily. (2013.6.7), captured a lot of information at the conference, and benefited a lot. But the most used of them is these few words - "The critics of the predecessors, in addition to being surprised, gave them a high evaluation: broad knowledge, keen feeling, in line with tradition, through the classics, broad theoretical vision, good at seeking innovation in pragmatism, compared with previous generations of critics, more 'post' knowledge, rich in potential..." (see Jin Taowen)
How nice to say! I deeply agreed, and I also read out other meanings from between the lines, and two past events about Fu Yichen crossed in my mind, although it had nothing to do with learning, but about cultivation-
Two, a guitar surprise four seats
At the turn of the spring and summer of 2012, the General Political Affairs Bureau and the People's Liberation Army Publishing House held a pen meeting for the creation of novels by the whole army in a certain company of the border defense of Shalang Island in Shanwei, Guangdong Province. On the eve of the pen meeting, the members of the pen club held a party with the officers and men stationed on the island. In order to show the writers of the PEN Association and the leaders of the general political organs the results of the grass-roots cultural activities, the leaders of the garrison not only let the company rearrange the award-winning good plays of the whole army, but also specially invited several professional actors who had trained here to return to the "mother's house" to "assist in the performance", which invisibly greatly enhanced the audience's expectations for the evening party, and also gave the "guest team" - the writers class a huge pressure. In the army, it is good to pay attention to winning or losing, and it is not the end of the fight for your high and low. Knowing that you are invincible, you must also "shine the sword"! What's more, the writers from the whole army are all human spirits, and there are several music and art actors who integrate editing, creating, and acting in one, and can easily admit defeat? Sure enough, as soon as the curtain opened, the good drama came to the stage, the soldiers came to block, the water came to cover the ground, and after three or five rounds, our side (invisibly I had consciously joined the cheerleading team of the "writers' class") actually carried it, and it was not in the ascendant, especially the two composers' newly compiled cross-talk "The Waves of Shading The Wave Island", which skillfully embedded the real people and real events of the officers and men stationed on the island, and constantly exploded, obviously suppressing the scenery of the first general sent by the other side- a certain singer. The atmosphere is getting hotter and the competition is more intense. I'm worried, what's the next thing to do? Fu Yichen came on.
To be honest, at first I was a bit confused, I suspected that I was wrong, is this Fu Yichen? But seeing him dressed casually, charming, carrying a guitar cross-body, "better than leisurely strolling" to the center of the stage to stand still, it is really Yushu linfeng, and calm. Fu Yichen this guy will do this hand? How come I've never heard of it? He's not here to be funny, is he? My personal taste is light, and I am more disgusted with hong Kong and Taiwan exaggeration, funny, and nonsense style with meat and hemp as funny. If Fu Yichen also came to this hand, it would destroy his image of a beautiful teenager. I even lowered my head a little afraid to look at it, but listened to him calmly self-report the track "The Outside World". This is followed by a series of gorgeous arpeggios, "the reel plucks the strings three or two times, and the tune is first sentient". A tinkling prelude floated quietly and livelyly under the low waves, and the applause erupted in the field. At this time I looked up at him, he seemed to have no one in sight, sitting on the guitar, looking at the distance in the darkness, simple and natural and old enough to sing deeply, his voice once again confused me, because the first time you listened to a person singing, you always felt that talking to him was like two people. But soon, Fu Yichen distinguished himself from the other people at the party with his somewhat nostalgic, a little trance, and a little uninhibited singing style, and the first paragraph had just been sung, and the applause and applause had been connected...
I couldn't help but fall into "crossing" again. Recall that in the autumn of 1968, when I was fourteen years old, I was placed in a small mountain village called Ruoyan, a hundred miles away from the county seat, in order to pass the loneliness and find some fun, I quietly learned to play the flute, neither music scores, nor famous teachers, starting from "5562, 11642", hard work, no teacher, to the end can barely blow down the solo song "Yang Whip Urges Horses to Transport Grain Busy", and by the winter of 1970, I inserted a flute obliquely on my backpack to become a soldier. How many nights have I returned from work, leaning on the door frame of the landlord's gate, playing a song to the sun valley and the small river in front of the ping and the dark and dark mountain village on the other side of the river, "vomiting dumb and mocking", I don't know how many sleepless people have brought harassment, comfort or pleasure? And now the contrast between the two is no different from the difference between cloud and mud... The burst of joy pulled me back to the scene of the party, only to see Fu Yichen get up and bow, and then wave in greeting, and the arranged and spontaneous handsome men and women came to the stage to offer flowers and take photos with them.
Later, when I was spending the night at the beach, I touched the bottle (beer) with Fu Yichen and said: "It's wonderful!" What a surprise! Fu Yichen said calmly and calmly, "Father (he won't call me teacher when he goes to the liquor store), this is nothing, I will give you new surprises!" ”
Is it?
Third, "hand talk" south sail
Sure enough, at a small gathering in the spring of this year, Fu Yichen had just returned from a seminar in Fuzhou to participate in the "Selected Novellas", and I asked him what interesting stories he had, and who had he seen? He said he had seen Teacher Nanfan. Nanfan heard that I am your graduate student, very happy, let me bring you well. Oh, that's it, our old friend. I also played Go with him. What do you think? I got away with it. yes?! This is a rather lethal explosive news! Congratulations congratulations! To this end, Fu Yichen and I made three cups in a row. In order for Fu Yichen and his comrades to know the great significance of this move, I have to talk about Nanfan at length.
I joined the army in Fujian in 1970 and went north to study in the Literature Department of the People's Liberation Army Academy of Arts in 1984, and the best of my fourteen years of youth were dedicated to Fujian, and my literary creation also began in Fujian, and I was quite familiar with the Literary Circle of Fujian. I think that Fujian's contribution to contemporary Chinese literature mainly lies in poetry and theory, the former has Bingxin, Guo Feng, Cai Qijiao, Shu Ting, etc., and the latter has Xie Mian, Zhang Jiong, Sun Shaozhen, Liu Zaifu, Chen Juntao, He Zhenbang, Lin Xinzhai, Chen Xiaoming, Xie Youshun, etc., which are almost able to stand up to half of the contemporary literary theory. And Nanfan can be called one of the best. Although it is considered to be a descendant (only older than Xie Youshun), it is worthy of being better than blue out of blue. He won in that he had one more pen than others, writing theory with his right hand and prose with his left hand, both hands were very hard, and both reached the domestic first-class level (both won the Lu Xun Literature Award), not only among Fujian scholars, but even if placed in the entire contemporary literary world, I am afraid that it is a case and has to be admired. This is the main business. In the amateur, he also has two brushes and dominates the critics. One is table tennis and the other is Go. It just so happens that these two things are also my favorite, so there is a story.
Let's start with table tennis. Over the years, because he participated in various awards activities of the China Writers Association, he often became an old golfer and an old opponent with Gao Hongbo, Chen Jiangong, Radar, Wu Bingjie and other literary table tennis masters. I have also heard that the South Sail ball wind is steady and fierce, but it has not been able to learn. But I remember reading one of his essays about playing ball, which said that he often looked around in the stadium as a teenager, and Gu Panzixiong's "domineering" impressed me deeply, so he did not fight before he was afraid of a layer. As a result, at the 6th Mao Dun Literature Awards in 2004, we encountered it. I thought I was weak, lightly armed, but two consecutive cities, according to the day's rule of three sets and two wins, I won 2-0! Just about to shake hands to thank Nanfan for "concessions", he did not let go, saying that he would win three times in five games! Maybe it was the sudden change in format that broke my psychological defenses, or maybe it was the south sail that peeked into my fate after two innings. In the next three innings, I actually lost the battle in a vacuum, lost a good game, and drank and hated it to this day!
Then there's Go. Chinese literati have always paid attention to piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and those who play the piano have long since become absolutely loud, so they will not mention it. Calligraphy and painting have also been absent for many years, and in recent years there has been a slight resurgence. Only Go, because of the "Nie Whirlwind" at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s, led to the fierce wind of chess in all universities, and all those who thought they had high IQ were involved and often showed their style in the game. This storm has affected the literary world, but when literary friends gather, it is inevitable to "talk by hand" for several rounds, catch and kill, and become a landscape. Over time, a number of masters surfaced, such as Chu Fujin and Gu Xiaohu in the novelist, whose chess strength was nearly professional in the amateur five-dan period, while among the critics, Nan Fan, Chen Fumin, etc., the legend said that the chess strength was not below the amateur three-stage. In the eyes of the stinky chess basket that I waited for the late 80s, when I was Chinese New Year's Eve five years old, to learn chess from outside, I basically regarded the debutants of the early 80s as "Keban" or Tong Zi Gong, and the three-dan people were shocked. Zhu Sujin, a senior figure in the military literary circles, was known as the Three Duans in his heyday, gave me two sons, and often made me sigh long and short. As far as he was concerned, he also lost to Nanfan. It can be seen from this that whether it is the main business or the side business, it is not easy for anyone to gain a little limelight in Nanfan. Unexpectedly, this time Fu Yichen first arrived in Mindi as a newcomer to comment, and while studying literature, he quietly played an away game, and even won the Southern Sail, which was nothing more than a nameless white-robed young general who inadvertently took the first rank of general in the million army! Although the times have changed, the chess style in today's literary world is indifferent, but the impact of this matter cannot be underestimated, and it will surely go away and gradually spread throughout the literary world. As for? That is, people don't say what I say. At the recent plenary meeting of the Chinese Writers Association, I took the initiative to greet:
"Brother Nanfan, don't come unharmed?" I heard that not long ago Fu Yichen went to Fujian to play Go with you, how about it?"
"Hey, I lost, but I have a chance, almost."
"Oh, that must be your carelessness, next time catch Fu Yichen don't let him again, haha..."
We looked at each other and laughed, the little pleasure in my heart, the golfers, you know.
On that day, Fu Yichen and I had a drink on this topic, and at least five more drinks per person. Hahaha!
From the regret of being absent from the seminar led to the above "crossing" of Fu Yichen's talent display on guitar and Go, there were admiration, surprise, and envy - envy that they were born in a good era, from prenatal education to tutoring, from small, beginning, high to ben, master, bo, all the way to The branch, the red flag is successful, the wind and rain are smooth, the wind and water rise, as long as it is this vegetable, as long as it is this piece of material, you will grow it arbitrarily, take root, sprout, draw strips, blossom it, "pear blossom a branch of spring with rain" "spring wind and willow thousands", unique, Left and right, the heart comes true, the dream comes true, and it is invincible. While envying them, I also had some regrets about myself, regretting that I had been born thirty years earlier, so I remembered that in the first half of 1986, Mr. Wang Meng went to the Literature Department of our People's Liberation Army Academy of Arts to give a lecture, first praised Mo Yan's "Red Sorghum" and "Explosion", and then sighed: "If I am twenty years younger, I can still compete with Mo Yan." "There is praise, there is envy, but there is also a reluctance and disobedience. Of course, I am far from the ambition and talent of Mr. Wang Meng, and I am obedient to the post-80s. It is precisely for this reason that I feel that Fu Yichen should be deserved to stand tall, go far, and write well, and everyone can see it, and I don't need to rap. Just talk about two "talents" other than writing, so that everyone can understand Fu Yichen more comprehensively!
At the end of the "crossing", looking back at the previous article, but a little embarrassed, patronizing the beloved disciple, he actually let Nanfan "lie down the gun". Therefore, this miscellaneous crossing record of Lala must also be "concluded" at the south sail:
Brother Nanfan, the front side of the box first to lose is not, to apologize, in advance to give you an appointment, at the right time and the right place, I and Fu Yichen master and apprentice team up (I ping pong, he Go) to come to ask for advice, but also to give you a win-win opportunity to open the bow left and right. How is it?
Xia Yue listened to songlou in Yuanzhou, right of the river
(Zhu Xiangqian, PEOPLE's Liberation Army Academy of Arts)
The article was published in Southern Literature Journal, No. 1, 2014
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