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

Chapter 142 Symposium for Young Writers

When the play "Mr. Donkey" started, Liu Yimin only watched the beginning and had no desire to watch any further. The student's voice sounded much more immature compared to the actors from the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

Having been immersed in the Beijing People's Art Theatre for so many years, my ears have long been spoiled.

Chen Jiangong and the others had all been to the Beijing People's Art Theatre, and they all felt the same way: "Having seen the ocean, other waters are nothing; having beheld the clouds of Wushan, other clouds are nothing." So they simply found a corner and started chatting quietly.

The drama club president glanced around for Liu Yimin's seat and found he was gone; a wave of frustration washed over him. They'd gone through so much rehearsal, and even the scriptwriter couldn't stand it—that showed how bad the rehearsal was.

However, most students had never been to the Beijing People's Art Theatre, so they watched it with great interest.

"Yimin, your article 'Thoughts on Modern Poetry Creation' published in Weiminghu has had a great impact. Everyone is talking about it, and many veteran poets agree with your article."

"Thoughts on Modern Poetry Creation" was a class assignment by Liu Yimin, mainly discussing how poetry should not be obscure and should have substance. Chen Jiangong approached him at the time, and he simply gave him the class assignment, unexpectedly, it was actually published.

"Professor Xie Mian even praised this class assignment, so it's no surprise that it sparked discussion," Liu Zhenyun continued, praising it further.

Chen Jiangong smiled and glanced at Liu Zhenyun. Why was this junior brother always playing the straight man today?
Changing the subject, Chen Jiangong continued to say to Liu Yimin, "Yanjing Literature is preparing to hold a symposium for young writers and would like to invite you to attend."

"A symposium for young writers? When?" Liu Yimin asked, frowning.

"It's next Sunday. There will be quite a few writers attending, mainly young writers from Beijing, but there will also be some from other places, though very few. Yenching Literature and Art magazine sent a letter to our literary society, specifically requesting your participation."

The symposium for young writers organized by *Yanjing Literature and Art* was also a spur-of-the-moment decision. In fact, when Chen Jiangong went to *Yanjing Literature and Art*, Zhou Yanru told him that he had to drag Liu Yimin along.

"If you don't go, this meeting will be meaningless!" Chen Jiangong stared intently at Liu Yimin, wondering how he should persuade him if he refused.

“Since you’ve said that, I definitely have to go. After all, I’m a member of our literary society.” Liu Yimin immediately agreed.

Chen Jiangong's expression was strange; he hadn't expected his junior brother to know that he was a member of the literary society.

Liu Zhenyun and the other two looked at Chen Jiangong expectantly. They actually wanted to participate too, but they didn't have any works to show for it. Chen Jiangong pretended not to see them, but felt a little sorry for them, and encouraged them, "You three should write well. One day you'll be able to have your own works too."

After the drama club's performance ended, Liu Yimin went up and shook hands with everyone.

As Li Xueqin walked out of the dining hall, he said angrily, "From now on, organizations will keep inviting me to literary seminars!"

“Exactly!” Liu Zhenyun echoed.

"Don't rush, take it slow. This is just a small discussion!" Liu Yimin reassured them.

During the next few days, Liu Yimin went to Fragrant Hills with Cao Yu and his teacher's wife to admire the red leaves covering the mountain.

On the day that Yanjing Literature and Art held a symposium for young writers, Liu Yimin, along with Chen Jiangong and Huang Beijia, a female student from the Chinese Department of Class of '77, were already somewhat famous before entering university.

Only the three of them from Yenching University participated, and they waited until the publication of "Yenching Literature and Art." Someone exchanged a glance with Chen Jiangong, and Chen Jiangong gave Liu Yimin a wink. The other person immediately grasped Liu Yimin's hand tightly.

"Hello, Comrade Liu Yimin, I am Zhou Yanru, editor of 'Yanjing Literature and Art'. Welcome, welcome!" Zhou Yanru was wearing a Ministry of Labor uniform in the style of Lenin's suit, and her expression was very exaggerated.

Liu Yimin finally managed to free his hand, which was gripping him so tightly it was starting to hurt, and said helplessly, "Hello, Editor Zhou!"

"Haha, Yimin, did your hand hurt? I'm sorry, I was just too excited. I've been looking for you, several times, but I haven't been able to see you. Yu the Great passed by his home three times without entering while he was taming the floods, and Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang three times before finally meeting him. We went to Yan University three times and still didn't get to see you."

Zhou Yanru was rather stocky, and spoke like a man—bold, generous, and loud.

"Really? Is that so?" Liu Yimin said, then remembered that it was indeed true; he knew of it twice. Once when Zou Huofan chased him away, and once when Liu Zhenyun told him.

Zhou Yanru patted Liu Yimin's forearm and said to another female comrade next to her, "De Ning, look, this is our beloved Comrade Liu Yimin."

Zhang Dening also came over and shook hands with Liu Yimin, then led them into the conference room. Zhang Dening smiled and recounted her experiences visiting Yenching University several times.

"What a coincidence!" Liu Yimin laughed.

Zhang Dening's sorrowful eyes held a hint of joy: "That's right, but we still met. Among the comrades who came today, besides some young writers, there are also some of our veteran editors."

Zhang Dening handed Liu Yimin a list, which Liu Yimin glanced at; quite a few people had come. Among them were Liu Yimin's old acquaintances, Feng Jicai and Bei Dao. Also present were Wang Anyi and Lu Xinhua from Shanghai, Zhang Kangkang from Heilongjiang Province, and the veteran Wang Zengqi.

Wang Zengqi was formerly an editor of "Yanjing Literature and Art". He also wrote when he was young, but he became famous in the second half of his life. The novel "Receiving the Precepts" published in 80 made his name resound in the literary world.

After everyone arrived, Li Qingquan, the editor of Yanjing Literature and Art, began to introduce them one by one.

When Li Qingquan looked at Liu Yimin, he paused for a moment and said, "This is Comrade Liu Yimin. He has written many good books and poems in the past two years. His novels have given everyone endless motivation to move forward."

Liu Yimin stood up and waved to everyone. It was no easy feat for Yanjing Literature and Art to gather so many people in such a hurry; it seems they paid a generous travel allowance!

At the meeting, Li Qingquan offered a preliminary discussion, mentioning the literary achievements since 77, especially the emergence of young literary writers, indicating that the literary world has gradually moved away from the generational gap.

Many people then began to speak up; they were a group of young people, and when it came to discussing literature, each one was more enthusiastic than the last.

Wang Zengqi sat down next to Liu Yimin and asked in a low voice, "Comrade Liu Yimin, won't you say a few words?"

"Let me hear what everyone has to say first!" Liu Yimin smiled. He had already figured out why Yanjing Literature and Art magazine was holding this symposium. One reason was to solicit manuscripts and recruit some young writers. The other reason was to send a message to the literary world through a major discussion.

Especially with the inclusion of Lu Xinhua, the author of the seminal work of "Scar Literature," and Li Jian, the author of "Goethe or Immorality," it's clear that *Yanjing Literature* magazine wants to fuel the debate.

Lu Xinhua is a supporter of the Scars Movement, while Li Jian believes that we should sing praises, and that those who do not sing praises are immoral. Both of them are quite extreme.

The controversy in Yenching Literature is just one part of a larger debate, which has drawn in almost all magazines and writers since August.

There are very few writers like Liu Yimin who neither wrote literature about the trauma of the victims nor literature praising the victims. In addition, he has always been at the Beijing People's Art Theatre, which is why he has always stayed away from the public opinion field.

"I believe that literary works should be combative and revolutionary. Revolution is not a dinner party with music and laughter, a harmonious affair; it should be sharp and courageous in pointing out errors and fighting against them," Lu Xinhua said loudly.

After he finished speaking, a group of people began to agree.

"Artistic works should inspire people and make them feel positive, not leave them with a lot of complaints. That's not the purpose of art!" Li Jian shouted loudly.

Li Qingquan and Zhou Yanru exchanged a glance. Well, finally, there was a hint of discussion going on.

Seeing that everyone's discussion was getting more and more heated, Wang Zengqi couldn't help but say:
"Literary works should reflect reality, but they shouldn't relentlessly pursue one issue or exaggerate it. To be honest, I experienced ten years of hardship and lived in a cowshed. But I can't write so-called 'scar literature.' In those difficult times, everyone should look forward!"

Wang Zengqi's works are criticized for their lack of critical insight, with many believing they focus on mundane daily life and are therefore unworthy of serious consideration. His essay collection, "Human World and Plants," recounts his experiences with farming and fruit tree cultivation.

His novels are similar, mostly depicting trivial daily life, and are more accessible than Liu Yimin's.

Without critical thinking, can you even be considered a writer?
Pooh!
Li Qingquan raised an eyebrow and looked at Liu Yimin, saying, "Comrade Yimin, why don't you say something too? You're the number one young writer in the China Youth Daily's poll, so your opinion is very important."

That old bastard, he did it on purpose!
Liu Yimin straightened up and said, "What Comrade Wang Zengqi said just now makes a lot of sense. Realist works should be faithful to reality. I haven't written either type of literary work, so I actually have no right to speak on this."

I'd like to share my personal opinion. For various reasons, it's difficult for our literary works to escape political influence. However, literary works should still maintain their own principles. They should strive for literary merit, artistry, and intellectual depth, while also remaining accessible and understandable to a wide audience.

We cannot deliberately pander to criticism at the expense of accessibility. Literary works serve the people; they must be close to their lives, close to reality, and inspire their yearning for a better life. I do not condone the dissemination of negative, pessimistic, or nihilistic thoughts and emotions.

Liu Yimin recalled that he once read "No Longer Human" several times before he mustered the courage to finish it. During the reading process, he felt extremely depressed and it took him a long time to recover after finishing it.

If all literary works were like this, then there would be no literature at all.

Liu Yimin's high profile attracted a lot of criticism; as soon as he finished speaking, many people began to criticize him. "We're all young people, and you're number one? Who's convinced of that?"

A heated debate ensued, and finally Liu Yimin asked Lu Xinhua, "Comrade Lu Xinhua, what do you think is the literary value of your novel 'The Wounded'?"

Lu Xinhua stammered, unsure of what to say.

When "The Wounded" won the short story award, the editor-in-chief of the "Literary Gazette" said after voting: "I only voted in favor, not in praise, because its literary value is not high, but it has opened the door to criticism."

They benefited from the first wave of "scar literature".

"Regardless of the type of work, if it's called a literary work, then it must have some literary value. Since it's a literary work written for the masses, then the masses must be able to understand it and like it. When I was talking to Professor Wan the other day, he said, 'We always say that literary works enlighten the masses, but if only a small group of people read them, how can we enlighten the masses!'"
We must move beyond the debate between "scar literature" and "Goethe's literature" and elevate literary works to the level of serving the people.

Liu Yimin's final words seemed like he was trying to smooth things over, but in a way that left people speechless. It was like someone was nagging you, and you were telling them they lacked "courage."

"Perspective" is the word that Liu Yimin hated most in the later internet era, without exception! There are always people standing on the high ground of "perspective" and pointing fingers at you, as if mentioning "perspective" makes you a winner, but they never tell you what their perspective is.

Wang Zengqi was the first to applaud: "I think Yimin is right; you can see that from his works. 'The College Entrance Examination 1977' showed everyone the hardships faced by test takers, and 'Hachiko: A Dog' introduced everyone to Saihanba."

The argument lasted until 3 p.m., and Liu Yimin drank several glasses of water and went to the toilet three times before it finally ended. Wang Zengqi, being older, went to the toilet six times in total.

“I will never attend any more symposiums!” Wang Zengqi said helplessly, then looked at Liu Yimin: “You oppose scar literature, you are not as vocal as they are, but I understand.”

"I oppose accusations and empty criticism; I advocate for staying close to reality," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

"Some people see things in black and white, but Mr. Ba Jin was supportive of that. I heard you two had a very good relationship?"

"A gentleman seeks harmony but not uniformity; a petty person seeks uniformity but not harmony."

"Let's go, let's go!"

Liu Yimin stood up, and many authors surrounded him to shake hands. Two female writers, Zhang Kangkang and Wang Anyi, even asked Liu Yimin for his autograph.

The moment Liu Yimin stepped out the door, he felt someone staring at him. He turned around and saw it was Bei Dao. He nodded slightly and then walked out of the conference room.

Zhou Yanru and Zhang Dening stopped Liu Yimin, insisting that he come to the editorial department for a talk.

"Comrade Liu Yimin, we would like to commission an article from you!" Zhou Yanru said with a smile.

Liu Yimin took a sip of tea and said with a smile, "Big sister, you guys are really unfair today. You knew there was going to be a literary and art congress, yet you brought a whole bunch of young people here to discuss things, and even invited two representatives to come and argue with each other. If one of them doesn't do well, he'll get scolded when he gets out!"

Zhou Yanru said awkwardly, "Comrade Liu Yimin, the literary world needs debate to be vibrant and make progress. The purpose of various magazines publishing all kinds of articles is to bring literature and art to life!"

(End of this chapter)