Writer 1978: I Need to Give the Literary World a Lesson

Chapter 593 Bombarding Avant-garde Literature (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Wang Zengqi's words make sense, but the market economy is the current trend of development. If magazines like *Huacheng* continue to be subsidized by the government, they may not be able to win over readers by operating on a non-profit basis when the literary magazine market declines in the future.

Most people at the scene were proving that commercialization of magazines was the way forward, but when commercialization actually began, they couldn't help but feel a sense of regret and desolation, and a huge question mark rose in their minds—is there really no way out for pure literature?
Those who support commercialization undoubtedly have complex feelings. Among them, Li Shifei's feelings are the most complex—the emptiness after achieving a phase goal and the sense of unpredictability about the future overwhelm him at once.

Liu Yimin reiterated, “Daring to commercialize is only the first step, Editor-in-Chief Li. There is still a more difficult road ahead, long and arduous. I believe that magazine colleagues across the country are waiting for Huacheng to find a path of pure literature and independent operation and self-sufficiency.”

Li Shifei composed himself and said, "Comrade Yimin is right. The comrades of *Huacheng* magazine must work together as one in the following tasks. Regardless of everyone's opinions on commercialization, since the editorial department has made a decision, there should be no further objections."

Comrade Yimin, you are a member of the editorial board of *People's Literature and Art*. We hope you can become a member of the editorial board of our *Flower City* magazine and work under our guidance.

Li Shifei extended an invitation at the exchange meeting, which Liu Yimin really didn't expect.

Before Liu Yimin could speak, Li Ao joked, "Professor Liu was just trying to encourage the friends at 'Huacheng,' but that encouragement has backfired and gotten him into trouble."

Everyone laughed upon hearing this, and Liu Yimin said, "Editor-in-Chief Li can write, call, or send a telegram if he wants to communicate. However, as an editorial board member, the distance between Yenching and Guangzhou is too far, and I'm afraid it would be a bit too far to make a difference."

Seeing that Liu Yimin politely declined, Li Shifei did not bring up the matter again, but instead began the next part of the discussion.

The writers on the island are actually quite curious about avant-garde literature. However, writers in Beijing and Shanghai have limited research on avant-garde literature, which is why they haven't brought it up yet.

Chi Pang-yuan immediately asked, "Before I came here, I heard people say that the development of avant-garde literature in mainland China was no less than an intellectual enlightenment, achieving self-expression and individual liberation. But some people also think that it was a period of intellectual confusion, with articles written for the sake of breaking conventions. It was confused in form, confused in content, and superficial in thought and value."

I'd like to ask, what are the motivations behind the writing of avant-garde writers in mainland China?

Qi Bangyuan delivered a heavy blow to Vanguard Literature right from the start, and Su Tong and Ge Fei exchanged a glance, both noticing the panic in each other's eyes.

Seeing that no one spoke, Li Shifei continued: "I think the writing of avant-garde writers in mainland China is mainly determined by the current environment. Under the impact of reform and opening up and the influence of Chinese and Western literature, some writers strive to break away from traditional literary writing methods. After ten years, their content expression contains a large number of violent elements."

While calling avant-garde literature a form of 'intellectual enlightenment' might be an exaggeration, it certainly played a significant role in promoting individual liberation and the individual's pursuit of freedom.

"Is avant-garde literature actually dissolving past literature and thought?" Li Ao asked.

"It's not about dissolving, it's about reconstructing," Ge Fei said.

Su Tong said, "Perhaps it's because of our identity. Most avant-garde writers are young people, and young people themselves have great individuality and an anti-traditional spirit. But to say that their thoughts are confused or their forms are confused is, I think, an attack by some people against avant-garde literature."

When Liu Yimin heard Su Tong utter the word "attack," he noticed a visibly twitch at the corner of Wang Zengqi's mouth.

In doing this, Su Tong seemed to have drawn a line, directly placing a portion of the group on the opposite side.

Still young! Liu Yimin thought to himself.

There were only two true avant-garde literary writers present, and their debating skills were inherently weak. As a result, even those who didn't want to express their opinions on avant-garde literature couldn't help but say a few words.

Liu Yimin gently patted Wang Zengqi's hand, signaling him not to speak yet.

In fact, most people regard Wang Zengqi as an avant-garde writer, and Ge Fei once publicly called Wang Zengqi the founder of avant-garde literature. The reason for this is that Wang Zengqi's "Receiving the Precepts" opened a new door to literary description.

However, Wang Zengqi disliked contemporary avant-garde literary works, believing that he simply couldn't understand their deceptive writing innovations.

From the very beginning of the discussion on avant-garde literature, the debate at the event became intense. Most of the writers from the island believed that the so-called avant-garde works from the mainland were all show and no substance, relying on unconventional and sensationalist approaches, and excessively pursuing formalism while losing their original ideas.

“I think readers don’t like this kind of work. It pleases literary theorists but alienates readers,” Chi Pang-yuan criticized mercilessly.

Pai Hsien-yung said, "I've read a few of their articles, and I think some mainland writers are going down the wrong path. Of course, it's not a problem for young people to go down the wrong path; insightful writers will find their way back to readers. Readers don't like reading articles that are like mazes."

"Isn't the magical realism expressed in Gabriel García Márquez's 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' another form of avant-garde literature?" Su Tong asked.

Li Ao said: "Magical realism literature can be said to be a kind of avant-garde literature, but this innovation is not only in form, but also in thought and content, making it a great work."

Just like Professor Liu's *Beloved*, which clearly expresses the exploitation and massacre of Black people by American colonists, this ideological message is very evident. Mainland China also has many literary works that are both innovative in form and excellent in thought, but it absolutely does not include literary works that are extreme in form but lack substance.

The editorial department of "Huacheng" believes that it was precisely because of the pursuit of formal innovation that novels with both excellent form and content emerged later.

"Progress is made only when people explore!" said Cen Sang, editor of Huacheng magazine.

"But we cannot become so immersed in the alienation of form that we cannot extricate ourselves and become complacent," Chen Yingzhen said. "Whether people are willing to admit it or not, realist literature will always be the mainstream of the literary market."

Li Shifei looked at Liu Yimin, who picked up his teacup and took a sip: "I agree with everyone's point of view. Avant-garde literature on the mainland is heading down a strange path. Of course, exploring new forms of literature can revitalize literature and may lead to a new path of expression."

Liu Yimin disliked avant-garde literature, but seeing Su Tong and Ge Fei's drooping heads, he didn't want to put any more pressure on them.

Li Ao said with a smile, "Professor Liu really cares about young people!"

"I also hope to write a few works that are excellent in both form and content through the exploration of writing forms. If I really do write them, they will be shining pearls in Chinese literature."

The concept of avant-garde literature is far too broad; similar expressions exist all over the world, including on the island, though it's not currently well-known. The emergence of avant-garde literature on the mainland is largely due to current trends; if it were to decline one day, it would prove that it truly hasn't taken root in the Chinese context.

After Liu Yimin finished speaking, Ge Fei said, "Professor Liu, avant-garde literature is at its peak right now, how could it possibly decline?"

You're such a hothead!

Liu Yimin pursed his lips and said, "Then let's make a bet. It won't be long, just three or four years to see who wins."

“I’ll take your bet!” Ge Fei said defiantly.

Qin Mu, the head of the Chinese Department at Jinan University, glanced at Ge Fei and thought to himself that young people are just too naive. After the exchange meeting ended, Qin Mu pulled Liu Yimin aside and said, "Yimin, thank you for your Institute of Literature and Art, which has cultivated several outstanding young teachers for our Chinese Department at Jinan University."

"Professor Qin, please don't be so polite. You weren't trained specifically for Jinan University. How have you been lately?"

Qin Mu smiled and said, "I'm in good health. When the opportunity arises, I can go on a trip abroad with you."

"Professor Qin, it's been over a year, but you still look as radiant as ever," Li Ao said as he walked over.

"Mr. Li Ao, you still speak with such sharp wit!"

"Hahaha, that's just how I am. In this world, apart from the elderly, there's no one I should shout 'Long live the Emperor' for!" Li Ao laughed loudly.

As Liu Yimin walked out of the conference room, students from Sun Yat-sen University lined both sides of the road, eagerly asking him for autographs.

A professor from Sun Yat-sen University said regretfully, "Professor Liu, it's such a pity. It would be great if you could give a lecture at Sun Yat-sen University. Our students from Southern University have never heard you lecture before. Yesterday, when the students learned that you were coming, the Youth League Committee took the lead in petitioning the university administration, requesting that you give an open lecture."

"I apologize for the tight schedule and all the students' enthusiasm."

If the "Flower City" trip had been planned in advance, time could definitely have been allocated for the speech. The delegation waved goodbye to the students, and Liu Yimin signed several books in succession.

Unfortunately, there were too many people; it would be impossible to sign everyone's name individually.

Back at the hotel, Liu Yimin noticed that Li Shifei was in low spirits and comforted him, saying, "Old Li, it's okay for everyone to have different opinions. If you invite people to exchange ideas, you should be prepared to be criticized."

The delegation of writers from the island were deeply educated in Yenching and Shanghai, and when they arrived in Guangzhou, they truly found the feeling of "exchange".

Li Shifei looked up at Liu Yimin and asked in bewilderment, "Is avant-garde literature really worthless?"

"Old Li, didn't I say we can't condemn everything, nor can we sing praises all the time? 'Flower City' is the main battleground for avant-garde literature, and it should guide avant-garde writers to improve their quality."

Li Shifei nodded and said, "Comrade Yimin, I understand. It's time for our editorial department to convene the editorial board again. If there's anything you need to ask, I won't hesitate to ask."

"Please feel free to write."

Liu Yimin asked Li Shifei to comfort the two young men and not to break them down further.

After the exchange meeting in the morning, the Yangcheng Evening News published an article in the evening entitled "Delegation of Writers from the Island Bombards Avant-garde Literature".

The report, which was over two thousand words long, presented the entire conference in its entirety and described it as the most severe criticism that mainland avant-garde literature had suffered since its flourishing in 1985.

Since avant-garde literature was formally proposed, most literary theorists have praised it extensively, and it has not received much criticism in public.

Now, however, he has been criticized by writers on the island. If this news gets out, it will probably attract the attention of a lot of literary theorists.

With the island's writers taking the lead, the literary theory community will quickly split into two factions: one avant-garde and the other likely to be labeled as conservative.

Liu Yimin stopped paying attention to the Yangcheng Evening News, leaving little time for avant-garde literature, which would quickly fade into obscurity by the end of the 1980s.

"Its rise was swift, and its fall was sudden!"

On May 14, they finally arrived in Shenzhen.

"There are two construction sites in Pengcheng right now: one is a completed and operational site, and the other is a site under construction!" said the head of Pengcheng's cultural department, pointing to the slogans on the street.

Li Ao raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glaring sunlight and read the slogan aloud: "Time is money, efficiency is life, interesting, interesting! I heard you can build a building here in just a few days?"

"A few days is a bit of a boast, three days is one floor, and a 58-story commercial building was completed in just over 400 days!"

Qi Bangyuan and the others found it a bit unbelievable. The head of the cultural department said, "I'll take you all to the International Building for a look around later. It's full of businesses now. Shenzhen is a place where dreams are made. Don't tell me you don't believe it, I don't believe it either!"

There's a joke: You go home and sleep all night, then wake up the next morning and go outside, only to find the roads have changed.

They sat on the bus, watching the cars and motorcycles speeding by on the street, each of them looking hurried yet full of confidence.

Wang Zengqi said, "Developing the economy is fine, but we can't bring in some of the bad habits of capitalism. Western dance halls and bars are all dross."

"Of course."

However, this statement sounded somewhat guilty.

Along the way, they saw completed buildings and buildings under construction. The bustling construction scene in Shenzhen was deeply imprinted in the minds of the delegation from the island.

However, Chi Pang-yuan still had a question: with so many buildings constructed, have any companies come to work here?

“There are so many companies coming here now that we can’t even build enough factories. Why would they come? If the factories aren’t built well, they definitely won’t come. We have policy advantages, workers, and low costs. Once a foreign investor comes here, they’re willing to invest here.”

The reception team included people from the finance department, who presented accurate economic data showing that the scale of the "processing trade" industry had increased by nearly 70%.

"Processing with supplied materials, processing with supplied samples, assembling with supplied parts, and compensation trade" refers to the collective term for processing with supplied materials, processing with supplied samples, assembling with supplied parts, and compensation trade.

Pai Hsien-yung exclaimed, "It's truly unbelievable!"

"Right now it's simple processing and manufacturing, but I believe Pengcheng will become a city of science and technology in the future," Liu Yimin said, looking at the International Building in the distance.

(End of this chapter)