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.
Critics of the day
Zhang Li (Filmed in 2008)
Born in 1971, a native of Baoding, Hebei Province, he is a scholar and critic. From 2000 to 2007, he studied at the Department of Chinese of Tsinghua University and the College of Literature of Beijing Normal University, where he obtained a master's degree in literature and a doctorate in literature. He once worked in the postdoctoral mobile station of Chinese Chinese and Foreign Languages of Nankai University. He is currently a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Literature of Beijing Normal University, and a distinguished researcher of the Museum of Modern Chinese Literature. He is the author of "Before The Surface of History: The Occurrence of Modern Women's Writing in China", "Where the Charm Lies: A Treatise on Contemporary Chinese Literary Films", and "Sister Mirror: Female Writing and Women's Culture Since the 21st Century". He won the 3rd Tang Han Youth Literature Research Award, the 2014 Best Chinese Prose Award, and the Outstanding Paper Award of Southern Literature Circle three times (2009, 2011, 2012).
My view of criticism
"Speaking with a human voice"
Zhang Li
I am convinced that literature depends on the light of wisdom and creation. I know that literary criticism has a high level. For example, Bakhtin. As a critic, Bakhtin did not stay away from literature, but his work illuminated the world beyond literature and even changed the way we perceive it. The ideological system originates from literature, but it also illuminates literature, which is the realm of the great critic.
Great critics have to look up to see, but good critics can be the direction. In my mind, a good critic is first and foremost an "ordinary reader", who has feelings, faces the human feelings of society, and faces the literary feelings of the work. His or her critical text is not a cold iron plate, it has temperature, emotion, personality, and discovery. A good critic is the confidant of literature, the confidant of the work, and the confidant of the writer. He or she is loyal and honest, can warmly praise the merits of a work, can also frankly discuss the shortcomings of a work, they know how to "compare hearts and minds" with writers and works. Since the 1990s, contemporary literary criticism has developed a new paradigm: critics borrow a certain theory to interpret works—Western theory has become the "crutch", or even the "scepter", of many critics to interpret works. Another model is that critics analyze texts as "social materials", do not care about the literary nature of the work itself, and do not pay attention to their own sensibility as readers. I am not opposed to academic research in the field of literature, nor to the study and application of theory by researchers. I am against dogmatism. This makes the work of interpreting literary works into the work of interpreting "social materials", and this hidden dogmatism forms a terrible habit of reading/criticizing works from social significance—whether a work has a "literary character" that can be discussed, whether it really moves you to be completely ignored.
Critical words confined to theory and materials have only the breath of theory and the breath of materials, but without the breath of literature or the breath of man, they are dead. But critics are people, not theoretical machines. Human emotions and human sensibility are important, and in the field of criticism, on the basis of occupying theoretical resources, human subjectivity should be valued. Literary criticism should not only be satisfied with giving readers new information and re-expressing the ideas of previous generations, but should also reflect the author's mental quality and should have the courage and potential to explore the text.
Literature is a vast, rich, and addictive treasure, and human life has become richer and more lustrous because of it. For me, reading is such a beautiful and joyful thing, it is an artistic enjoyment with Ying TsuiHua. The critical text itself, then, should be a work of art, and a good critical word must be "shaped by things", must be vivid and delicate, must be meticulous and rigorous, must be beautifully written—good criticism has a fascinating commonality, "like all great works, it carries a distinct personal imprint; it speaks in the voice of man" (Sontag).
Although it cannot be reached, the heart yearns for it.
The article was published in Southern Literature Circle, No. 2, 2009
Critic Impressions
In 2008, Zhang Li suddenly arrived
Bi Feiyu
The critics I admire go something like this: they climbed down philosophically, and for them, what literature is, they don't really care, they care about issues that are often bigger and more important than literature, what they have to construct is their system, literature is only a part of it. Such people have an unusual dialectical ability, their brains are logic, they are full of reading, solid, and have no obvious flaws in the necessary framework of knowledge. They have the so-called "nerdy" on the outside, and in the process of inference and combing, they do not lose their hands. Their neural types are metaphysical, they don't care about human fireworks, they have nothing to do with interpersonal relations, they have nothing to do with jianghu, they have the characteristics of genius, they are ambitious, and they have great impulses in their hearts. They stand on this shore, but in their hearts there is only the other shore.
I revere such critics, but I don't necessarily really like them. The critics I really like don't climb down philosophically, they drill out of the text. In terms of nature and temperament, they are exactly the same as writers and poets, they are sensual, they have deadly, too many emotions, they are not so fond of themselves, they are ashamed of their tears. Because of their vocational training, they don't stay inside the text, they have the ability to drill out of the inside of the text and get wet with the juice inside the text. They don't love greatness so much, they don't even look down on greatness, what they really love is life, it's beauty, it's wisdom, it's a song and a sigh and a sigh. They have their biological nature, their skin is good, sharp, elastic, they can feel the wind and grass, they ride not to run faster, but for a beautiful misconception: they have identified their tails as full of twists and turns. They were eager to know the taste of pears, and he didn't plant pear trees, he didn't sell fruit, and as a result, he made everybody want to taste it.
Of course, there is another category, they have been reading, they already have a very good education, but they have no intention of "being a writer" or "being a critic", they do not regard "being a writer" or "being a critic" as their "work" or "life plan", they are born with a literary heart, but in essence, they care about some friends, some problems, some communication, not literature. They have a free nature, they recognize that literature is an auxiliary life, and in order to make their lives have a reasonable width, depth and finish, they choose literature as a "methodology". They can plant it all in one head, or they can put it down at any time. It doesn't matter.
Zhang Li is a critic of this "other kind". I don't know if I displeasure Zhang Li by seeing Ms. Zhang Li as a critic of "another kind", but that's exactly how I look at her. I naturally have my basis for saying this. Say one thing. Ms. Zhang Li and I met twice, not very familiar, but in these limited two meetings, I knew one of her interests, and like me, she loved Chen Xi very much. Because of her love, she wrote a review about "Teacher Chen". Thanks to Ms. Zhang Li's trust, she showed me the paper first. Zhang Li's elaboration is extremely insightful, but she has put forward some criticisms. Reading and reading, my little chicken belly intestines tensed up, her wording began to become severe,—— I wondered, why do you "like" Teacher Chen so much? I immediately called Ms. Zhang Li and asked her, are you familiar with Teacher Chen? Zhang Li said, yes, they went through e-mail several times. Oh, through a few e-mails. Of course it is "very cooked". I still don't quite understand Ms. Zhang Li's liking, and asked: "Have you read your article 'Teacher Chen'?" Zhang Li told me this: "Look, Teacher Chen said, he likes it very much. ”
I haven't seen my brother yet, put down the phone, but I know what kind of person My brother is, naturally, I also know what kind of person Ms. Zhang Li is.
I'm not old-fashioned, and as far as the current situation in China is concerned, how a critic "likes" a writer, I think I know the general situation. - Who doesn't know? What I want to say is that between My Brother Xi and Zhang Li, there is something that moves me, which is permeated with ancient winds.
Needless to say, Ms. Zhang Li paid as much attention to my writing, and in 2008, she published "How Long Is a Disaster" in Reading, talking about the clumsy "Jade Rice". Here I need to explain that compared with "Corn" and "Yuxiu", "Jade Seedling" is really much more deserted, but no matter how cold it is, of course, I have my own opinions. Being able to find another way under the background of the words spoken of, I have a special admiration for Ms. Zhang Li's courage. What made me look at it was the "incision" of "How Long Is a Disaster", which made me look back at myself, which made me see myself in another line of thought, and I said to myself: When I wrote "Jade Rice", I may really think so.
Strictly speaking, Zhang Li's "specialty" is not literature, but women's studies. In general, most of the people who do women's research are "feminist", and some translate "feminism" into "feminism". When I think of Beauvoir's wise and hard eyes, the translation of "feminism" seems to be good. For feminists, I am respectful, but, in my bones, I am a little afraid. I was afraid of feminists for a reason, of course, I once opened the door for a "feminist" lady at the door of a door, and it turned out to be frustrating, she was unhappy, and her unhappiness was clearly written on her face. Women are not weak, so why should you take care of me? Later, I learned to be obedient and did not easily open the door for the lady, especially in the hometown of Madame de Beauvoir. But strangely, Ms. Zhang Li, I am not afraid at all, if there is a chance, I think I can open the door for her.
Far from it.
However, I did not seem to be far away, just the year before, I had the privilege of meeting Ms. Zhang Li at a conference in Taiyuan. The theme of the conference was women. What can I know about women? Just listen. During the recess, I met with a strange lady. There was almost no transition, and at once she introduced the topic into the interior of the novel, and she and I discussed the female figure in the literary work. If I'm not mistaken, she also had a foreign female scholar who spoke excellent Chinese. This female scholar seems to be very feminist, and she is accustomed to distinguishing writers from a feminist point of view, and she is also accustomed to distinguishing characters from a feminist point of view. Zhang Li's words gave me a deep impression: "You can't divide it like this, it still depends on the shaping of the character." ”
It is a simple sentence, but it is important to me, and there are strong aesthetic principles in this sentence. Art can never shy away from ideological principles, but all this is premised on aesthetic principles. Zhang Li has always stressed that critics should say "human words", and I guess that the first thing she cares about is the taste of aesthetics and the ability of aesthetics. All "isms" can enslave man, and only aesthetics can lead to freedom.
In 2008, Zhang Li appeared in front of everyone suddenly and clearly, just as she appeared in front of me during the recess of the meeting. Her posture is too swift, giving the impression of a protruding peak. In fact, the so-called peak protrusion is really an illusion. Zhang Li was already at that height, but we hadn't seen it beforehand.
I was amazed at how much Zhang Li read, she read so much. Perhaps because of the "professional", Zhang Li is not so particular about reading literature and immediately. Her excellent sensitivity benefits from her relaxation, and her effective ability to express herself benefits from her relaxation. I suspect that Ms. Zhang Li is "not tired of looking at each other" when facing literature, and what kind of vivid and lively situation should the "intertextuality" between works and critics be?
I don't know what Zhang Li will do in the future, "eat" the bowl of literature or "don't eat" the bowl of literature, I wish her can relax like this in the future, if so, it is Zhang Li's luck, but also literature. If Zhang Li can always be simple and happy in the face of literature, she will have a great future.
(Bi Feiyu, Chairman of Jiangsu Writers Association)
Read more
Impressions of a Critic
Zhang Yanling, Zhang Ping, editor-in-chief
Writers And Publishers September 2019
My View of Criticism
Guangxi Normal University Press, January 2016
More highlights:
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
Critics today | He Yanhong: Interventional Criticism – My View of Criticism
Critics today | Zhang Zonggang: My view of criticism
Critics today | Li Danmeng: My view of criticism
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
Critics today | Yellow hair: Because of respect, so demanding
Critics today | Zang Di: Poetry is against common sense
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
Critics today | Zhang Hong criticized the notes
Critics today | Li Jianjun: Real criticism and the critics we need
Critics today | Wang Guangdong: "Faith" and a way of being
Critics today | Huang Weilin: There is criticism of "popularity"
Critics today | Wang Zheng and Xiaohua: My view of criticism
Critics today | He Xiangyang: My view of criticism
Critics today | Ge Hongbing: My view of criticism
Critics today | Yang Yang: My view of criticism
Critics today | Shi Zhanjun: Love and respect are far away
Critics today | Rogan: The modern meaning of "criticism."
Critics today | Dai Jinhua: My view of criticism
Critics today | Wu Jun: Find something that is obscured
Critics today | Cheng Wenchao: Inappropriate critic
Critics today | Zhang Ming: My critical maxim
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
Critics today | Li Jiefei: Critic of the 1990s
Critics today | Meng Fanhua: The "Useful" and "Useless" of Literary Criticism
Critics today | Wang Gan: The mission of criticism
Critics today | Gao Yuanbao: The Road to Tradition and Reason
Critics today | Chen Xiaoming: My view of criticism
Critics today | Nan Fan: Low-key optimism
Editor: Liu Ya
Second instance: Wang Yang
Third instance: Chen Tao