In New York, I visited a Jewish friend's house many times. Every house has shelves full of books, and their favorite activity on their days off is to visit Jewish bookstores. Chinese friends in New York have also maintained the tradition of reading, and when they see that I have Chinese books in my hand, they are very eager to borrow them. I'm also passionate about this, and I always feel like I've become a mobile bookstore.
Who doesn't love the food of their hometown, and who doesn't love the words of their hometown? For me, in these years in New York, without Chinese bookstore, my spiritual soil would be deserted.
When the Xinhua Bookstore in Brooklyn, New York, first opened
One
When I first came to New York, I lived in a house in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Every day after dinner, I would go out and see where books were sold. Fortunately, not far from where I live, on 56th or 57th Street, there is a bookstore Chinese, and it is Xinhua Bookstore. Every time I walk in to read a book, I feel that I am not too far away from my motherland.
At that time, about seven or eight years ago, this Xinhua bookstore was still very lively, with many different literary books, magazines, and Chinese and English learning materials. In front of the store, there were several gentlemen who often chatted there, speaking in tongues, and looking at the bookstore from time to time, as if they were proudly guarding the holy place of Chinese books.
It's a bookstore that's not too big, but I can often spend the whole day in it. Looking for the Chinese characters I'm familiar with, just by seeing those beautiful Chinese covers and illustrations, I'm already content. I saw The Reader, Yilin, and of course, Overseas Digest and Story Club in the bookstore. There are also many books by classic writers who are popular or have been influential in the past. I saw that Zhang Wei, Huang Yaya, Zhao Lihong, Liang Xiaosheng and Jia Pingwa's books were all there, and I felt that sitting in the bookstore for half a day, the aromatic smell emitted by these books alone could feed the dull belly of my overseas wanderer. Even those comic books and story books that are not common in China can be found a lot.
In addition to literary books, there are also many Chinese literacy textbooks in the bookstore, such as overseas Chinese education books published by Jinan University and Xiamen University. When I first arrived in the United States, I lived a hard life, studied in research institutes on weekdays, and taught Chinese Chinese history and geography at Chinese schools on weekends, so I had a lot of dealings with such Chinese books, and I had indelible implications.
A large number of comic books left behind when the Xinhua Bookstore in Brooklyn was cleared
Two
The owner of the shop is a 50-year-old Fujianese man, not very tall, wearing a pair of gold wire glasses, with an extremely bright smile and full of spirits. I call him "Boss" and sometimes I call him "Old Lin". Almost from the first time I went into the store to buy a book, we became friends who talked about everything.
At the Xinhua Bookstore in Brooklyn, chatting with Boss Lin was a happy pleasure, and I couldn't read from his eyes any kind of shrewd calculations that belonged to businessmen, only the enthusiasm for the book industry and the honesty of book buyers from north to south. How many books were sold that month never seemed to be his primary concern, he always cared about whether his friends had picked the right books or where books had been exchanged recently. Sometimes we talk about his children, about life in the United States, and the days of reading in a bookstore become a kind of salon-style relaxation journey. I like to chat with people when I buy books, thinking that such a shop owner must be an interesting friend who can be interacted with, and sure enough, the shop owner found me different and made me a "little brother".
"Little Brother" is not so good. It's not that there are any tasks entrusted to me, but he is too enthusiastic, basically buying books is the cost price for me, and then later, the pen and ink, raw paper, rice paper to be used are almost free gifts, to push but not, so in the end many times I have to run out of the store. Formal decency is always absent, more is the warmth and abundance of the heart. When I hold the book, I can always see the picture of the shop owner chasing me behind me, and hear the voice of him saying "Brother, don't want money", I always feel funny and nostalgic.
I didn't want to go, so I introduced some friends to buy books. I heard that the owner of the shop would still give my friend some books and newspapers. Friends think it is strange that it is rare to see such a bookstore in New York. It seems that everyone is not doing business and negotiating conditions, but visiting the door between neighbors every day, or the daily greeting after dinner.
This is actually a very simple small bookstore, only because of the careful management of Boss Lin, or the unintentional management but the character of making friends, it has always been loved by many local Chinese. In Boss Lin's bookstore, there are often autographed calligraphy works by overseas Chinese calligraphers, some of which are dignified and dignified, and some of which are flying and flexible, are all unique calligraphy masterpieces. However, selling calligraphy in New York is not easy, and the works are often hung for many days without being cared for. I remember that on the wall of the bookstore a little bit inside, there were several good works of cursive, and even on the ceiling there was a good facsimile of the Orchid Pavilion Preface. Fortunately, there are many people reading "Orchid Pavilion Preface" and many people praising it, that is, no one buys it, and I have the honor to swim in the sea of books in a comfortable atmosphere every time I enter the bookstore to read books. It is not only the elderly overseas Chinese friends who write calligraphy, the younger generation has slowly become acquainted with calligraphy. Once, with a look of joy on his face, Boss Lin told me that the Baruch College of the City University of New York had organized the establishment of the Chinese Calligraphy Association, and the students were keen to learn calligraphy, saying that they wanted to ask me to tell the story of calligraphy and calligraphy. I listened to him mention this, and I also became interested, and later when I went to Baruch Academy to see it, I also had a meeting with young calligraphy lovers. Young students eat pizza and sit in the classroom listening to my speech, seemingly disorderly and casual, but all of them are attentive. I was deeply impressed by everyone's enthusiasm for calligraphy. Boss Lin also likes to unfold his water writing cloth in the store, happily writing something. In front of the counter are several brushes, wolf, and sheep, always arranged regularly on ceramic pen holders.
While reading at Xinhua Bookstore in Brooklyn, I also found that some young people who grew up in the United States, these children with Chinese faces but who were educated in the West from an early age, have also maintained an interest in Chinese. They may not understand many Chinese, but because of their family's demands, they also come to Chinese bookstore to read books. In their eyes, the Chinese educational publications were the spiritual bond of communication with their ancestors. From this point of view, Chinese bookstore is both a spiritual beginning and a continuation of it.
The last photo of the Xinhua Bookstore in Brooklyn
Three
Boss Lin smoked, sometimes for the bookstore to run a difficult situation, sometimes for the joy of meeting new friends who love to read, or the newspaper in the store published some interesting and important good news about China. The speed of smoking determines the ups and downs of his mood, and the rhythm of shaking cigarettes shows his mastery of the things in his heart. When I was happy, I smoked a cigarette for half a day, talked with everyone, smiled on my face, was full of ease, couldn't care about smoking, only when I was about to burn to the butt of the cigarette, I deftly shook my fingers and bounced away the ashes. When sad, a person stands behind the counter silently meditating, full of sadness, but also a bitter smile, cigarette after cigarette, almost no intention of stopping. It is not easy to run Chinese bookstore, and our old Lin friends have persisted for many years in various sad and happy emotions.
Unfortunately, under the impact of the epidemic in New York, this Xinhua bookstore is still closed. Two years earlier, I knew that Lao Lin was having difficulty in running the business, because there were fewer people reading books and fewer people buying books. Bookstore survival is not easy. He had wanted to open a café area in the basement of the store, but his plan never came to fruition because he wanted to enter more Chinese books. At the 2015 New York International Book Fair, when the Chinese guest of honor was active, I introduced Lao Lin to the Javits Center to have a look, maybe there are some new gains. Returning from the book fair, he brought some Chinese postcards from inside, and he stayed with him all the time, not giving them to anyone. The other day, I came to see him on the last day of the bookstore closing and accompanied him to clean up some of the store's inventory. He showed me the little pile of paper and talked about it. A few years ago, the large-scale Chinese book fair seemed to be just around the corner, when Su Tong, Bi Feiyu and other famous Chinese writers brought a shock to readers in New York, and how many years were unforgettable. I saw that next to the postcard in front of Lao Lin, there was also a seal of "Brooklyn Xinhua Bookstore", so I asked him when this chapter was engraved. He said that it had just been engraved, and before it could be used, not a single document had been stamped. I drew a few from my postcards and asked him to help me stamp his Xinhua Bookstore. While covering me, he said that the bookstore will not end like this, there is this chapter, there is the friendship of friends, and one day I will do it again.
Postcard stamped with the seal of the Xinhua Bookstore in Brooklyn
Before leaving, he brought me a large number of calligraphers and paintings that his usual calligrapher friends had given him. I knew it was not good to refuse again, so I picked a few satisfactory paintings and accepted the last gift from my friend in the store. No matter how great the value of calligraphy and painting is, it is not equal to the friendship between friends, I take these rare gifts in my hand, think of the time we have talked and laughed at the door of Xinhua Bookstore over the years, and think of those who are like me in the door of Chinese Bookstore with Chinese, there is always a little relief in my heart. I think that in fact, although there are not many bookstores in Chinese in New York, everyone has dreams. Chinese bookstore will never lack a stage for development, in an international metropolis like New York, in the spoke land where Chinese people gather, there is always a home for Chinese readers. Manhattan has oriental bookstores and Minghui books, Brooklyn has Xinhua bookstores and world bookstores, and Queens has another xinhua bookstore and world bookstores. In New York, although there are only six or seven Chinese bookstores with separate stores, I can still feel the happiness brought by that kind of book, and I still firmly believe in the future of Chinese bookstores. As a reader, I am very lucky to have such an unforgettable friendship with the bookstore owner Lin.
I often think of the afternoon when the bookstore finally took stock of its warehouse and closed its doors. Old Lin and I, guarding the glory of the Brooklyn Xinhua Bookstore, are actually guarding the last wonderful of brooklyn's Chinese book industry. It was still cold, I was wearing a down coat, and I felt cold when I walked outside. Entering the house, boss Lin was not busy for a while, and the sweat was already soaking through the clothes. Sometimes I put on my clothes and go out to help him see if any passing readers want to buy a few special books, as if I were making a final proclamation to the people in front of the palace as a nobleman in the palace. Some people asked, is it necessary to clear the warehouse for sale here, and will no longer operate Chinese books in the future? We just said, no, just move temporarily and will come back later. Like all the rules of the ecosystem, when bookstores finally close, there are always people who want to pick up and take away books, and we are like guardians of Chinese books, not letting books lose any dignity and dignity. Give it to you, but cherish it. If you want to buy a few more copies at a cheap price, you can also buy them, but you are never allowed to use a large package to collect waste products into a large car and do scalping business. Chinese books are valuable books at all times and need our careful care.
A few days ago, because I wanted to find some prose materials, I met with Boss Lin again and asked him to bring me a few books of Lin Qingxuan's prose. I was worried about being late, so I rushed half an hour early, went to the old place again, and unconsciously walked to the door of the Xinhua Bookstore in Brooklyn. Of course, the bookstore is closed, the sign is still there, and the flag of the "Xinhua Bookstore" above my head is still waving in the wind, but there is no owner in front of the door that I am familiar with, there are no guests who come to buy books, and tourists look at the place where I stand from time to time with curious eyes, as if looking at a strange sculpture. I would like to say a word to my friends in front of me and tell you that this is Chinese bookstore, welcome to sit here and look at it, there are new newspapers, as well as previous books and newspapers. Nice, you definitely want to come back next time.
As I expected, after Boss Lin arrived, he said a few words of greeting to me and wanted to give me books. I quickly slipped the tie prepared in advance for his child into his hand and, as usual, ran out of his sight.