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.
1 Critics today
Zhang Liqun (Filmed in 2014)
Zhang Liqun, born in 1973, is a native of Shenyang, Liaoning Province. He is currently a professor at the School of Literature of Liaoning University, a doctor of literature, a master supervisor, and a visiting researcher at the Museum of Modern Chinese Literature. His research interests include Chinese new poetry and new poetry theory, Chinese postmodern literature and avant-garde literary trends. He has published five monographs, "New Chinese Poetry and Political Culture in the 20th Century", "Notes on Interpretation: The Development of Chinese New Poetry in the Past 30 Years", "Research on the Phenomenon of Chinese Postmodern Literature", "Breakthrough of Modernity in Avant-garde Literature", "The Charm of the Pioneer", and a collection of poems "White Horse", and published nearly 200 papers in core journals.
My view of criticism
Historical attitudes
Zhang Liqun
I wrote a lot of criticism for a period of time (2005-2007) because of the "80s and 90s Part" of the topic "General History of Chinese Poetry: Contemporary Volumes"; the impulse to involve criticism gradually eased, and the excessive production made me doubt the authenticity, meaning and value of criticism, and then aspired to move towards the level of academic research. The above-mentioned change in attitude from "excitement" to "confusion" reflects the situation of criticism to a considerable extent: it depends not only on the continuous "re-understanding" of criticism itself in the process of individual practice, but also on the attitude of the academic community to criticism and its potential impact.
Regardless of what others think of criticism, after experiencing reflection, I regard criticism as the cornerstone of future literary theory construction and literary history writing. Just as Welleck pointed out in "Literary Theory" that literary theory and literary history are inseparable from literary criticism, later, he quoted Frye in "The Concept of Criticism" as saying that "literary criticism is an idea and knowledge structure that has its own existence value", and literary criticism plays a vital role in the research and development of literature, especially contemporary literature. If criticism is understood as the analysis and evaluation of certain works of a certain writer, then literary theory and literary history naturally rely on criticism to realize their own future picture. Although, from the perspective of contemporary evaluation of contemporary people, the vision, courage and knowledge required for criticism will make the "simplest" time review a "double-edged sword", if we can really objectively and fairly think about the writers' theories written by their contemporaries in the 1930s, which have now become authoritative materials for the study of writers of that era, we do not have to bear too much psychological burden, and accuracy, depth and artistry have always been important criteria for measuring all literary research, including criticism.
The Publication of the General History of Chinese Poetry and Contemporary Volumes in 2012 marked the end of my work on contemporary Chinese poetry criticism since the 1980s, and I suddenly developed a strong "historical attitude" towards criticism. Criticism needs to be tested by history, and at the same time, it needs to witness the projection of the times and real life— if the former ultimately shows that criticism is a rational understanding, then the latter shows the sense of responsibility of criticism and the height of history that it should be. Obviously, criticism, as a concept, is not superior or inferior in itself, but if we only stop criticism in superficial understanding, unprincipled praise and criticism, or simple self-talk, our criticism will have a bleak future and be criticized by others.
Adhering to idealistic feelings, "historical attitude" also means that criticism has comprehensive characteristics, in the process of specific development, criticism often combines literary theory and literary history with certain effective resources; "historical attitude" always points to the truth, goodness and beauty of criticism, and truth, conscience and aesthetic artistry constitute the texture and characteristics of criticism; "historical attitude" also means that criticism, like its evaluation object, needs to make words and sentences, be full of affection and exert imagination, so as to withstand the washing of time.
Of course, the "historical attitude" also implies some practical problems that need to be faced in the process of criticism and practice. Combined with our own experience, in a general sense, the criticism we speak of belongs to the contemporary in time, and in the professional sense, it should be more subordinate to the category of contemporary literature, and its specific target is the writer, work and current literary phenomenon that the critic is interested in. Criticism often leaves the impression on many professionals that there is a double lack of historical materials, historical facts and theories. The problem of historical data and historical facts can naturally be solved through the "attitude of history", but what about theories and distilled points of view? To a large extent, critics do not pay much attention to the theory of criticism itself, but judging from the logic that a good literary historian and literary theorist should first be a good critic, the "historical attitude" is also an effective coping strategy.
It should be said that criticism is a challenging task in any context. Although the "attitude of history" can indicate my critical position, it does not represent the recognition of my criticism by others. In the face of a variety of works and endless literary phenomena, the individual's vision, ability and even physical strength will make me feel limited. Perhaps, I have said too much, and good works never need criticism. In this way, it is also a very good thing to remain silent without maintaining a "historical attitude". Literature needs to be understood in silence, and so does history!
The article was published in Southern Literature Circle, No. 6, 2014
Critic Impressions
The sky where the "white horse" flies
——Zhang Liqun in my impression
Fang Wei
The time I have known Brother Liqun is not very long, that is, four or five years, but we have become good friends at first sight. Li Qun is an excellent scholar and a poet of true temperament. We met at an academic conference. Later, I gradually found that Liqun and I have a common hobby, that is, I like to travel far, and Liqun's love for the scenery is far more than mine. Last summer, at a meeting in Nanjing, Li Qun came to the conference hotel early, but went alone to visit the ancient city wall of Nanjing and the Qinhuai River, sweating profusely in the heat, and almost collapsed from heat stroke. After a few days, the meeting was over, and I pestered Liqun to go to the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. The heat was scorching, and Liqun left early, this time the difference was that he brought me this burden. When I arrived at the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, as a self-aware fat man, I looked at the scorching sun and retreated, while Li Qun rose to the challenge, stunned that in the heat of forty degrees Celsius, I climbed up step by step, step by step, until my whole clothes were wet with sweat. Brother Liqun waved to me at the top of the mountain, and his style was brilliant. Later, thinking about it carefully, basically every academic conference, Liqun is always the first to come, visiting the famous scenic spots in the mountains and rivers alone, meditating, or flying in Yixing, whether it is Changbai Mountain Tianchi, Taishan Lingyan Temple, or the Forbidden City in Beijing, Weihaiwei Ancient Fort, all of which have left his forward figure.
Of course, this is not only due to the enthusiasm of travel, but also the curiosity about the unknown and the temperament of pure nature. Brother Liqun has a long white face and a beautiful style, quite like a personable ancient scholar. He did not like to be lively, was keen on solitude meditation, and was full of the poetic temperament. However, he is not lonely, but on the contrary, he is kind-hearted, righteous, responsible, and a well-known good person in the circle of friends. He often behaves low-key when there are many people, while when three or two friends get together, he is very eloquent and often becomes the focus of the topic. I love his northeastern accent and the kung fu of staying up late at night to chat, plus his witty words, quick thinking, I and other clumsy people, only listen. From liking Liqun's northeastern accent, to talking with him all night long, from academics to life, from ideals to love, excitement and praise, screaming in the sky when indignant, sighing when sad, shooting all over the railing when proud, Liqun's true feelings and authenticity are not only caused by his natural jade nature, but also caused by his flexible talents, which makes me admire and benefit a lot. Once, in Beijing, we talked loudly in our hotel rooms, stayed up all night, and even almost attracted the interference of the waiter, and now that I think about it, I can't help but wonder.
From the point of view of origin, Liqun is the "Pure Masters of the Northeast", but on top of the directness, there are more delicate and pure things. He is not good at drinking, but the wine is very good, never maliciously persuading the wine, nor cunning to escape the wine. It is said that Shandong people can drink and can persuade wine, so every time Liqun comes to Jinan, he declares very firmly: "I really can't drink, the amount of alcohol can't be." "Everyone uses this as an excuse or a self-effacing excuse for escaping. How can a man in the northeast not drink? However, we gradually discover that he is "really" unable to drink, but he never runs away from drinking, always "drinking to the cup", and then he is drunk. He is usually funny and humorous, but when it comes to formal academic occasions, he is serious and dignified, and never engages in the act of "eyeballing". That's what I admire. Many critics, for fear that others will forget who he is, like to pretend to be amazing, and their words are not surprising. Talking about problems in groups and seeking truth from facts, saying good things about good things and bad things about bad things, being simple and natural, having a clear theory, not showing off terms and emotions, and not making extreme nonsense, this kind of serious and responsible and down-to-earth and peaceful attitude is worth learning.
What is valuable is that he is not hypocritical, sincere to others, and "academic career" can withstand loneliness. His research field is very broad, with a good academic vision and solid foundation, and he has unique insights in the fields of new poetry studies, contemporary novels, and literary history, coupled with his excellent energy and concentration, and the best works are constantly emerging, and its quantity and quality are staggering. He has shown a strong sense of problems academically, and this is precisely the foundation of scholarship. In my opinion, the world's learning, there is a distinction between false learning and true learning, false learning often has a "glorious box", which seems to be full of flowers and delicate textures, but when you open it, there is only dung, dilapidated, and there are strange smells such as sour smell, corpse rot, and power desire. And true learning is mostly just a "willow woven box", simple and casual, or even not very rigorous, but when the box is opened, there are pearls inside, the light of the sun, the thousands of colors, dazzling. That is to say, fake learning pays attention to the rules of the teacher, the grand academic system, the right to speak, and the fake learning also covers people's eyes and ears with historical materials, covers up the spiritual poverty and lack of academic theory, is more good at exquisite and beautiful nonsense, scares people with a scary theoretical hat, or often takes cross-field as fashionable, looking for growth points of academic interests in cold places, and the seemingly rational and rigorous language is actually stale and empty. True learning has true disposition and true insight. Learning is also a kind of creation, which requires painstaking creativity and outstanding language expression ability. A poet said that writing poetry is to use words to create "the brilliance that makes the world dumb", then, good learning, but also to create a "powerful insight" that makes the reader dumbfounded. And these insights, without a strong sense of problems, a spirit of doubt, anti-authoritarian courage, a bold sense of pioneering, and a sincere and simple soul, cannot be truly realized. And these must have temperament and insight: good temperament will make scholars automatically alienate from the copper odor; and good insight will allow scholars to get rid of the problem of clichés, find mistakes in common sense, break the void in the ordinary, dare to sting the mask of authority, and dare to reflect on their own inner treachery. Brother Liqun is exactly such a scholar who makes me admire the "true learning". His judgments on the third generation of poetry, his reflections on the classicization of new poetry, and his criticism of online poetry are all refreshing. His poetry criticism is well done. Many critics of poetry tend to have two extreme tendencies, or indulge in theoretical construction and terminology, or pretend to be sexual spirits, and form a focus of attention with wild and uninhibited stimulating language. But Liqun never followed the trend, but more calmly buried his head in cultivation and did his studies in a serious and down-to-earth manner. When it comes to the high productivity of academia, Liqun is also the standard of my generation. He is quick-witted and hard-working, writing dozens of reviews and academic articles a year, written by hand, without effort. However, Liqun is reflective on this. I remember him saying to me very sincerely: "I really shouldn't have written so much, mainly because I can't grind my face, I am all friends." In the future, I will have to study hard and strive for excellence. Sure enough, in recent years, Li Qun's talent has soared, and the number of articles has decreased, but it has become more concise and profound. The article is too messy, which is actually a common problem of young scholars, and I also have it, and Liqun's reflection makes me admire.
In fact, Li Qun is a poet. I knew he was writing poetry, and when I saw his thick and exquisite poetry collection "White Horse", I was even more surprised. It is not easy to be a "good poet" in these days. In the face of an impetuous and utilitarian but rapidly changing society, it is not easy to maintain a delicate poetic heart that is always sensitive to the richness of all things. Spring and autumn are fruitful, winter is snowy, looking down on heaven and earth, penetrating people's hearts, to clean the hearts that are entangled in smog, to polish the eyes that are blinded by the locks of fame and fortune, to have real wisdom. At the same time, this poetic heart must also be a normal heart, be good at hiding clumsiness, and maintain sufficient vigilance and sober self-examination for those things that have nothing to do with poetry under the banner of poetry. Looking at Li Qun's poetry collection, I clearly felt his talent and perseverance. I love his poems like "Looking Up at the Stars in Amdo", "Looking at the Moonlight from the Bottom of the Sea", "Fresh Kids" and so on. Perhaps, the poet Zhang Liqun can reveal more than the scholar Zhang Liqun the hidden emotional fluctuations in his heart, sincere and pure aesthetic ideals, such as such verses: "After lifting a bright finger / The sun illuminates the fresh flesh transparently / Occasionally the droplets baked by the temperature / Splashing dust, as if the words on the paper are full of words / Tonight, I am on the altar of Amdo / A child waiting to be given a holy relic / Listen hard, the message of the distant light." "Mysterious, full, full of strange colors, warm light, thick juice and proud mysteries. Reading them, the group of people who were walking alone on the top of the hot sun seemed to come to my heart again.
Of course, my favorite is Li Qun's poem: "White Horse". He wrote: "When the white horse runs past / A fresh child is pointing with his finger / From every direction it looks white / The white horse, perhaps the face of a beautiful woman / or a chance illusion." Perhaps, this is exactly the kind of literary realm that Li Qun pursues, clean, comfortable, calm, with infinite mysterious possibilities and perfect dignity - like lightning hidden in the pocket, the drum carved on the skin, or the running white horse, with green eyes and silent power, lazy and arrogant, flying in the sky that does not matter!
(Fang Wei, then teaching at the College of Literature of Shandong Normal University)
The article was published in Southern Literature Circle, No. 6, 2014
1 Further reading
Impressions of a Critic
Zhang Yanling, Zhang Ping, editor-in-chief
Writer's Publishing House Sep 2019
My View of Criticism
Zhang Yanling, Zhang Ping, editor-in-chief
Guangxi Normal University Press, January 2016
More highlights:
Critics today | Zhang Dinghao: Between the past and the present
Critics today | Liu Dongfei: Honest criticism
Critics today | Dong Yingchun: The writing of language ontology
Critics today | Yue Wen: Where the silence lies
Critics today | Fu Yichen: Criticism of the times
Critics today | Guo Bingru: This is the end of the pen
Critics today | He Ying: The "Innocent Eye" of Criticism
Critics today | He Tongbin: The hostility of criticism
Critics today | Liu Daxian: The rules have changed
Critics today | Wang Xun: The life dimension of literary criticism
Critics today | Charlie: Self-justification – my view of criticism
Critics today | Liu Tiequn: Slow down, read
Critics today | Yang Guangzu: Criticism is a tribute
Critics today | Guo Yan: The look that extends from behind the curtains
Critics today | Huang Yi: The power of introspection
Critics today | Li Donghua: My view of children's literature criticism
Critics today | Fang Wei: Confessions of Criticism
Critics today | Tan Xudong: Where does criticism start?
Critics today | Hu Chuanji: Some understanding of words
Critics today | Liu Chun: Because of love, so write
Critics today | Huang Ping: "Literature" in the "Reform" Era
Critics today | Matt: Witness, think, speak
Critics today | Liu Fusheng: For the farewell of the party
Critics today | Ran Longzhong: Fieldwork-style critical writing
Critics today | Li Fengliang: Academic theory, talent, problem awareness
Critics today | Zhang Zhulin: The Garden of Literature and the Outside World
Critics today | Li Yuchun: From interpretation to empirical evidence
Critics today | Mao Jian: Criticism, or rather, all literary tasks
Critics today | He Ping: Critical self-criticism
Critics today | Liang Hong: Facing the era of the "aura" disappearing
Critics today | Huo Junming: Poetry criticism that calls for "pure cotton"
Critics today | Shen Xiayan: Criticism is the nostalgia for another life
Critics today | Zhou Limin: Be a happy reader
Critics today | Zhang Li: "Speak in a human voice"
Critics today | Li Yunlei: The "dirt" of criticism
Critics today | Jin Li: "Fresh First Glance" and "Concreteness of Life"
Critics today | Yang Qingxiang: Literary criticism as a "de-charm"
Critics today | Zhang Guangguang: What should critics criticize?
Critics today | Niu Xuezhi: A problem that can be regarded as subjectivism
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Critics today | He Zhongming: Dialogue of the heart
Critics today | Wang Xiaoyu: A literary fan's view of reading
Critics today | Zhang Xuexin: Criticism is a kind of spiritual arrival
Critics today | Yao Xiaolei: Use your heart to talk to the object of criticism
Critics today | Lu Wenbin: Criticism is a kind of listening
Critics today | Li Jing: The art of humble obedience and the art of freedom
Critics today | Wang Zhaosheng: Perfection - my critical view
Critics today | Zhao Yong: The situation and dilemma of criticism
Critics today | Liu Zhirong: Listen to the sound and find the way
Critics today | Shao Yanjun: Outspoken spirit and professional character
Critics today | Li Meijun: My view of criticism
Critics today | Zhang Nian: Criticism, prejudice and arrogance
Critics today | He Guimei: The Imagination of Humanistic Scholars
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Critics today | Lin Zhou: Criticism is the feeling after reading
Critics today | Wang Hongtu: Criticism, possible ways to integrate sensibility and intellect
Critics today | Qinghua Zhang: Like Sisyphus
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Critics today | Li Jianjun: Real criticism and the critics we need
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Critics today | Ge Hongbing: My view of criticism
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Critics today | Wang Binbin: The disappearance of "professional critics"
Critics today | Hong Zhigang: Self-Discovery and Confirmation
Critics today | Pro-New Year: How Is Criticism Possible?
Critics today | Zhang Xinxin: Say what I want to say
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Editor: Deng Jiefeng
Second instance: Liu Ya
Third trial: Chen Tao, Wang Yang