I am a literary giant in Japan

Chapter 308 This is the literary masters’ exchange meeting!

Kitagawa Hide and Stephen were having a great conversation and didn't notice the rapid passage of time at all.

Just as the two were about to continue a detailed debate on the practical application of the "magical realism" writing technique, the train's "woohoo" whistle announced that they had arrived in Cupertino.

Stephen, who was in the middle of a lively conversation, had to reluctantly stand up and, together with his wife Tabitha, invite Kitagawa Hide and his wife to get out of the car.

The four of them followed the crowd and left the platform, observing the surrounding environment while being wary of those hippies in strange costumes.

Don't be fooled by the fact that these guys are holding guitars and accordions and look like street performers. They are friendly and kind to others.

Maybe they have a lot of contraband and guns hidden in their pockets. Once you are targeted, a few peanuts will come to you unreasonably!

This is the American West in 1997.

There is gold everywhere, as well as rampant guns and drugs.

In fact, since its rise after World War II, this country has been caught up in various disputes and is not as good as the outside world imagines.

For example, in the 60s, racial discrimination was a serious problem in the United States, and Martin Luther King, a black leader of a generation, was assassinated by white racists.

Since then, Americans of the 50s generation have been "rising in rebellion" and denouncing President Johnson's incompetence, while at the same time escaping from life in a "hippie" way, which seems very polarized.

In the 70s and 80s, the liberal economic strategy pursued by the United States completely collapsed, and the country's economy stagnated for a long time.

If it weren't for the disintegration of the Russian bear in the East in the early 90s, which allowed it to inexplicably become the world's largest country, perhaps if it had dragged on, the United States' future might not have been much stronger than the later "Empire on which the Sun Never Sets".

At this stage, social class conflicts and contradictions at all levels in the United States were intense, and various social problems emerged one after another.

Social security is not as good as before.

In his previous life, Kitagawa Hideya had been to the United States several times, but this was his first time in this world superpower, and he couldn't help but look around curiously.

Sure enough, even the first developed country in the future was very rustic in 1997.

A future first-tier city like Cupertino is now as backward as a small rural village because the computer and Internet industries have not yet taken off.

Outside the train station, the Hartley family sent a number of people to pick up Kitagawa Hide and his wife. Jerry Hartley, Gene Hartley's youngest son and the current head of the Hartley family, was also present in person.

Seeing Stephen coming with Kitagawa Hide, Jerry was overjoyed and hurried forward to greet them: "I am Jerry Hartley, welcome to Cupertino, both teachers. We have prepared the dinner and accommodation. Please get in the car this way."

"Hello, Mr. Hartley, thank you for your help." Kitagawa Hide had learned about the Hartley family in advance. This California wealthy family founded by Gene Hartley was also one of the initiators and beneficiaries of the Asian financial crisis.

On last year's Forbes rich list, the Gene Hartree family ranked 89th in the world with a net worth of US$67 billion. The family's net worth is almost five times that of the Kawade family!
I originally thought that the Hartree family just invited me over as a routine matter and wanted to discuss some literary and business collaboration.

I didn't expect that the current head of the family would come to pick me up in person. This is a bit high.

"Teacher Beichuan, I have always been your most loyal fan. I have read all of your novels since Border. Could you please sign an autograph for me?"

Jerry, a fat man in his forties, took out a copy of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" like a little fan, and dragged Kitagawa Hide into a luxury car, asking him to sign the title page of the book as a souvenir.

Beichuan Xiu thought for a while, then quickly wrote down a string of big words: "Money is rolling in, business is booming."

After getting the novel back with satisfaction, Jerry told him about the literary master exchange meeting hosted by the Hartree family.

After realizing that the literary market in the western United States was still a desert waiting to be developed and explored, Jerry immediately invested a large amount of money in California to open station bookstores, publishing houses, magazines, and newspapers.

By the time other cultural media groups discovered his sneaky behavior, Hartree Culture Publishing Group had already flourished across California.

At the same time, in order to promote his own publishing group's first publication "Western Literature", he spent a lot of money to invite dozens of well-known American writers and many overseas writers to Cupertino to participate in a literary exchange meeting.

This is the origin of this so-called literary master exchange meeting.

After listening to Jerry's narration, Kitagawa Hide couldn't help but give a thumbs up to the fat businessman.

This model is similar to the "Internet Summit" organized by some Internet giants next door in later generations.

Kitagawa Hide remembers that in his previous life, it was in 2014 that the concept of "Internet Summit" was first proposed in Wuzhen. At that time, countless Internet company bosses gathered together, and their group photos became classics that will be passed down forever. They not only became the memories of a generation, but also further expanded the influence and popularity of Internet companies.

No wonder people in the Western United States are saying that Jerry Hartley is the "God of Western Business". This guy really has a great business mind!

August 1997, 8, Hartree Hotel, Cupertino, California, USA.

The literary master exchange meeting that the Hartree family had vigorously promoted in the West officially opened under the flash lights of countless media.

Yumeko, who is more than eight months pregnant, is now living in the Hartley family's convalescent home awaiting her birth. Her figure is a little out of shape and she doesn't want to hang out with Kitagawa Hide in this state.

Therefore, at this literary master exchange meeting, Kitagawa Hide arrived alone in a suit and tie, without a female companion.

Because the literary exchange meeting hosted by the Hartree family is billed as "a collision of ideas among world-class literary masters", all the attendees are well-known literary giants from various countries, and basically people in their sixties are considered young people.

Among the crowd of gray-haired and bald heads, Kitagawa Hide, who is nearly 1.8 meters tall, stands out with his thick black hair, and it is hard not to attract the attention of the media.

He was also the only Eastern writer present - Japan, South Korea and China had long been excluded by the Western cultural circle, with Kitagawa Hide being the only exception.

This literary master exchange meeting was more like a top award ceremony, and there was even a red carpet walk after entering the venue.

When Hideichi Kitagawa stepped onto the red carpet, he immediately caused a sensation all around. Countless flashes came at him with the intention of blinding him, making him even feel that even a blind person would be able to regain his sight for a short time.

The shortlist for this year's Nobel Prize in Literature has been leaked, and the winner has been confirmed to be Italian playwright Dario Fo.

After all, this guy dared to speak up for Palestine, dared to denounce the Jewish race, and dared to satirize political parties in various ways. It is simply a miracle that he can live to this day.

As his strongest competitor, Kitagawa Hide was too young and had not produced many works. The one selected was "The Dancing Girl of Izu" with a strong Japanese style. It was normal that he did not win.

But this does not prevent Kitagawa Hide's name from becoming popular in the Western literary world.

Especially during this period, "Remembrance of Things Past" and "One Hundred Years of Solitude" have set off a trend of foreigners writing foreign literature. "The End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland", which were once unpopular with readers, are also deeply loved by overseas readers.

It can be said that 1997 was the year of "Hidetoshi Kitagawa". Both in Japan and overseas, people were swept by the works of this young man.

Therefore, when Kitagawa Hide appeared, all the media people wanted to point their guns and cannons at his face. They used the still expensive film as if it were free, for fear that if they were a second late, they would take one less photo of Kitagawa Hide than others.

Kitagawa Hide is tall and handsome, with the kind of oriental handsome face that even Westerners can appreciate, and thus has attracted the attention of many young girls.

The Stephen couple who followed closely behind were also quite famous in the United States, but as they walked behind Kitagawa Hide, they became just a foil and didn't make any waves.

Kitagawa Hide walked all the way to the main hall of the hotel and found that the Western literary exchange was more like a dinner dance, which was completely different from the meticulous Japanese model where a bunch of old scholars sat cross-legged on the tatami, brewing tea and chatting.

However, when I went to the private literary exchange meeting hosted by Airi Noma, the scene was a bit similar to this place.

However, this place is obviously much more formal than the "imitation show" of Noma Airi. Although it has a strong banquet atmosphere, the details are all related to literature. It is not a private party under the guise of literature.

It is true that people are shaped by the land and water they live in. With so many differences in national cultures, it is no wonder that Japan and South Korea have tried their best to integrate into the Western circle but have failed.

Deep down, we are not the same as you!

Kitagawa Hidemasa picked up a glass of champagne from a waiter and was thinking about eating something to fill his stomach. However, before he took a few steps, he was surrounded by a group of old men and women.

In order to facilitate mutual recognition, each participating writer will wear a plaque on his chest with his nationality and name written on it.

Kitagawa Hide's appearance and age stand out in the crowd, but these people are not easy to distinguish.

"Hello, Mr. Beichuan, I am."

Opening remarks like these continued in his ears.

Kitagawa Hide nodded in response to them while carefully reading their nameplates - self-introductions were one thing, but with so many people coming at once, he couldn't remember them all, so he could only identify people by their nameplates.

Don't look at it, look at it!
The old men and women who gathered around were all literary masters from Latin America and the United States.

For example, Arthur Miller, who openly resisted McCarthyism and insisted on using literary works to criticize social injustice;

Heller, the black humor writer who wrote Catch-22;

Bello, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature and represented a relatively new system of Western thought, and Singer, who belonged to the Yiddish cultural tradition;

Leigh Trillin, editor-in-chief of well-known literary review magazines such as Partisan Review, The New York Review of Books, and Washingtonian, etc.

If any of these people went to Japan, they would have to be received by a writer of the "best quality in the world".

And now, these old men and women who occupy most of the contemporary world literary scene, like crazy fans, surround the young man Kitagawa Hide, asking him all kinds of questions, fearing that if they are not careful, the other party's attention will be attracted by other people.

This is the world literary reputation that the publication of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" brought to Kitagawa Hide!
Stephen, who writes horror novels and popular literature, is just a younger brother here. Seeing that Kitagawa Hide was surrounded by the big guys, he had to go and drink and chat by himself, and wait for an opportunity to communicate with him in the evening.

In the crowd.

“Although the novel Remembrance of Things Past is long and obscure, it reveals the social changes in France during the First and Second World Wars. Marcel’s memoirs and life are a microcosm of modern French history.

In my opinion, this novel clearly belongs to the category of critical realism.

Unexpectedly, the recently published "One Hundred Years of Solitude" took a different approach. It also aims to reflect reality and society, but uses a magical world. The plot is fragmented, the thinking is erratic, the style is bizarre, and the strange words contain an indescribable strong tension.

When it comes to "magical realism", which has become a doctrine in Latin American literature, Leigh Trillin can't keep silent.

She is one of the few people who attended the exchange meeting as a literary critic, which shows her authority in the literary criticism circle.

Her words quickly attracted a lot of people's agreement.

Singer, a former Nobel Prize winner in literature, also said with a smile: "Indeed, in recent years, the American literary world has been keen on discussing Kafka, and Mr. Kitagawa's writing style is actually a bit like Kafka's absurd style.

But Kafka's absurdism is a bit too small compared to the magical realism of "One Hundred Years of Solitude".

He likes to present his novels by satirizing individuals, while Mr. Kitagawa uses the rise and fall of a family to reflect the entire era, which is amazing!

If One Hundred Years of Solitude had been published in my time, I might not have won the Nobel Prize in Literature that year!"

These big guys spoke very modestly and in a very pleasant way. Singh's words were of course self-deprecating, which drew a lot of good-natured laughter.

Although it is flattery, it also indirectly reflects their affirmation of "One Hundred Years of Solitude".

Kitagawa Hide smiled but said nothing. He knew that the most exciting part of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" was at the end.

Therefore, he had told Mengzi before that after the final chapter was serialized this month, the popularity of the novel would probably reach a higher level.

I just don't know if the Swedish Academy will reject me this time.

The literary master exchange meeting hosted by the Hartree family was very successful. The participating writers, organizers, media people, critics and readers who paid close attention to these matters all got what they wanted.

It was a week later that the live event was recorded for a television program, sent to Japan on videotape, and rented and watched by millions of people.

1997 8 Month 15 Day.

It was revealed that Gunzo, the once most glorious pure literature magazine under Kodansha, was sold in a package to Kitagawa Bunyu for 1.4 million yen.

It is a pity that the company that once kicked Kitagawa Hide out has now become his property.

On the same day, Shinchosha's "Shincho" was released, with first-day sales of about 1.3 copies, which surprised many people.

The editorial department of Shinchosha now misses Ichiro Tanizaki who is still arguing with the judicial authorities. Unfortunately, this time the Ministry of Education is taking the lead, and the Minister of Education, Nobutaka Machimura is determined to punish Ichiro Tanizaki and others to death.

The hit national drama "Tokyo Love Story" is reaching its climax. The theme song "Sudden Love" written by Kitagawa Hide, sung by Oda Kazumasa and covered by Sakai Izumi has dominated the Oricon Music Chart for several weeks.

The average viewership of the TV series reached 41.4%, and the highest viewership exceeded the 50% mark!
8 month 18 day.

The second volume of "Remembrance of Things Past" was published in France, which caused a buying craze that attracted thousands of people.

Same day, Tokyo, Japan.

Kato Shuichi and Niwa Fumio, who had just rented the video of the "Literary Masters Exchange Meeting", rushed to the bookstore with great enthusiasm to buy the latest issue of "Wenyi"!
All the bookstores were packed with readers who came here to read the book.

Everyone wants to know the ending of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" first!
Today's "Literature and Art" is more like the dumplings they make for a dish of vinegar.

If One Hundred Years of Solitude had not been serialized, daily sales would have been cut in half, or even more!

"Mr. Kitagawa should be the first Japanese writer to truly go abroad."

Kato Shuichi, who had already written the first volume of "History of Japanese Literature", couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the surging crowd.

(End of this chapter)