October 12 marks the 119th anniversary of the birth of Ding Ling, a modern Chinese female writer and activist, with her novel "The Sun Shines on the Sangan River" and the short story "Ms. Sha fei's Diary" becoming a household name. She has made irreplaceable contributions to the history of modern Chinese literature. Today, I will take you to know a different Ding Ling, and look back at a good story of Ding Ling and internationally renowned scholars in the 1980s.
Ding ling
In 1981, Ding Ling participated in the "International Writing Project" advocated by Nie Hualing and Paul Angle, leaving an American impression on an old writer and making a number of literary friends. Founded in 1967 by renowned writer Nie Hualing and his husband, the American poet Paul Engle, the University of Iowa's International Writing Program is the world's first global writers' exchange program organized by a single university, and since its inception, more than 115 countries and more than 1,000 writers have been invited to participate. The University of Iowa's International Writing Program began hosting Chinese mainland writers in 1979, inviting Xiao Qian in the first year and Ai Qing and his wife the following year. In January 1981, a formal invitation letter was issued to Ding Ling, and on August 29, Ding Ling and his wife departed for the United States.
The 1981 University of Iowa International Writing Program invited more than 30 writers from more than 20 countries to live in the "Mayflower Apartment" and the "Iowa Inn" respectively, and Ding Ling was assigned to the "Mayflower Apartment". Nie Hualing and his wife assigned an interpreter to her, and Ding Ling was very satisfied with the living conditions, saying in a letter to a friend: "Two rooms, as well as a kitchen and a bathroom." Facing west, in front of it is a large lawn. In the distance there are dense maple groves. The eight-story building is the tallest building in Iowa. The kitchen was exquisite with dining table, large fridge, oven. The rent is 460 yuan. Meals are cheap, do it yourself, and cost about less than $100 per person per month. In addition to telephone, laundry, etc., we have 700 yuan per month is enough. ”
The University of Iowa's International Writing Program, which lasts for three months, encourages invited writers to participate in university courses, and arranges various symposia, reading sessions, etc. Ding Ling's schedule is full and rushing non-stop. She visited New York, Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles and other cities; gave lectures at Harvard University, Yale University, Stanford University, Princeton University and other famous universities; met with physicist Yang Zhenning, bacteriologist Li Zhenping, mathematician Chen Shengsheng, linguist Zhao Haosheng, literary theorist Xia Zhiqing, American playwright Arthur Miller and other well-known figures. When she was leisure, Ding Ling went shopping in the supermarket and watched the American football professional league, and quickly integrated into American life.
Had a great conversation with Susan Sontag
Susan Sontag, a prominent left-wing writer, literary critic, and countercultural thinker known as the "conscience of the American public," was also invited to participate in the 1981 International Writing Project along with Ding Ling. Everyone was thinking about what kind of spark the two "goddesses of literature and art" would encounter, and sure enough, these two women from different countries, different life backgrounds, and different ideological stances quickly mingled together, talking like old friends they met, chatting, eating, and playing together, all of which were sincerely happy for Chinese writers to go out and China to open up. The two of them and the American Neo-Surrealist poet W. S. Mervyn's hands clenched together, and Nie Hualing filmed this precious scene.
Ding Ling (center) and the American poet W. S. Mervyn (left), American thinker Susan Sontag (right)
Also the invited writer of the 1981 "International Writing Project", Jiang Xun, a painter and poet from Taiwan, was only 34 years old at the time, which was considered a small character, but he was a super fan of the 77-year-old Ding Ling, thinking about buying all kinds of things for idols all day long. Ding Ling did not use the bathtub well, fell down, and Jiang Xun quietly bought a rubber pad to stick to the ground. "In fact, she has suffered so much in her life, where she is afraid of falling down, but I am still particularly distressed." Jiang Xun later said in an interview. When Jiang Xun published his poetry collection "Young China", Ding Ling specially wrote a preface to it, recalling the happy time he spent with him in Iowa. Jiang Xun said, "I am like her son, fooling around with her every day. ”
In just three months of getting along, Ding Ling and Nie Hualing formed a deep friendship. The "Mayflower Apartment" and Nie Hualing's family went up and down the mountain, Ding Ling and his wife often walked and visited after dinner, and the four of them sat on the steps of the courtyard and talked about the wine. Years later, Ding Ling recalled in the letter: "Is Iowa cold this year? I often think of you driving your big car down the mountain in the snow and ice, and I am really worried about you. But the thought that the two of you could occupy that small building alone, watch from the window, write straight books, snuggle up to the fire, and whisper is really envious. It is best to have fewer guests, only good friends, talk about literature, art, turn over good poetry, eat some buds of rice, and drink some good tea. It's so comfortable! (Zihua)