The "Change" and "Unchanged" of Jiangsu Literature

Jiangsu has a long history and a generation of talented people. The so-called "pulse" and "source" refer to tradition, which is the part that seems to be "unchanging". But the so-called "unchanged", of course, is not stagnant water without waves, but "grass color is close but nothing", the flowing water is not corrupt, the moisturizer is silent, and the "change" is integrated into the "unchanged" from generation to generation, and such a "tradition" is the soil that will always maintain the prosperity of literature.

It is precisely because "the grass color is close but not there", change and change, in a long period of time to see more clearly. The team of Jiangsu writers wins in stability. At the beginning of the new period, the older generation of writers in Jiangsu, such as Wang Zengqi in Beijing and Chen Baichen in Nanjing, turned their backs on the scars, reflections, and reform trends of that time, and had a unique style; Gao Xiaosheng, Lu Wenfu, Fang Zhi, Zhang Xian, and other comeback writers were still strong and became the mainstay of the literary circle at that time. Later, zhao Benfu, Fan Xiaoqing, Huang Beijia, Su Tong, Ye Zhaoyan, Zhou Meisen, Chu Fujin, Zhu Sujin and other writers rose to their reputation, they participated in the construction of contemporary literary territory, and their creativity has not yet declined. The "they" poetry group that arose in the mid-1980s became the representative of the "post-new poetry wave", and in the 1990s, it partially turned to "new generation writing", among which the poetry creations of Han Dong and Xiao Hai have maintained a high standard to this day. Since the late 1990s, new forces such as Bi Feiyu, Ye Mi, Lu Min, Ding Jie, Hu Xian, Zhu Wenying, Wei Wei, Dai Lai, Li Fengqun, and Huang Xiaoyang have gradually appeared. Jiangsu literature has been in the "great changes" of ideological trends and social space development for more than 40 years, and has unconsciously completed the passing of the torch and the alternation of the old and the new.

The stability of the writers' team also ensures the stability of the center of gravity of Jiangsu literature and the transmission of taoism. On the one hand, it is the exemplary role played by the personality charm and halo effect of famous writers. For example, Wang Zengqi to Ye Zhaoyan, Bi Feiyu, Lu Min, Lu Wenfu to Fan Xiaoqing, Tao Wenyu, etc.; or such as Bi Feiyu to Lixiahe, Fan Xiaoqing and Su Tong to Suzhou, and Han Dong to the young poets in Nanjing; on the other hand, it is the role of the mature training system. Zhou Meisen once recalled the youth creation group established in the 80s, and the leader of the group at that time, Mei Rukai, often said that he did not represent individuals, but represented Ai Xuan, Lu Wenfu and other older generation writers to make a bridge: "The older generation of writers understand young writers through this bridge, and young writers understand the older generation of writers through this bridge. From the "Youth" magazine in the 1980s, the Literary Creation Workshop in Nanjing, the "Youth Creation Group" of the Jiangsu Writers Association, and the Writers' Class of Nanda University, to the "Novel Salon" for amateur authors by Bi Feiyu since the new century, the "Yuhua Writing Camp" of the Jiangsu Writers Association, the "Bi-monthly Talk of Jiangsu Literary Rookies", and the "Famous Teachers and Apprentices" program. In contemporary Jiangsu, it has become an inconspicuous "bridge", which is not only a bridge of intergenerational inheritance, but also a bridge of communication and change.

The literary vein is long, the vein is divided into three branches, the Jiangnan literature is magnificent and delicate, the northern Jiangsu literature is majestic and simple, and the literature of the Lixia river is both majestic, and the mutual attraction and transformation, Chen Liao summarized the characteristics of Jiangsu literature as "qingjun, handsome, noble and upright". From the outside, the writer's style as a whole has not changed, while a closer look at the inside changes from time to time and from time to time. Fan Xiaoqing, who wrote "The Window Facing the Street", and Fan Xiaoqing, who wrote "Incense" and "A Brief History of Urban and Rural Areas"; Su Tong, who wrote "Souvenirs of Mulberry Garden", and Su Tong, who wrote "Yellow Bird Chronicle"; Bi Feiyu, who wrote "Ancestors", and Bi Feiyu, who wrote "Plains"; Han Dong, who intended to betray the influence of "Today", and Han Dong, who is now old and strong... In the blink of an eye for decades, the vicissitudes of the face, and for the reader, because of familiarity, there is more cordiality and affection. However, after 40 years of realism, avant-garde ideology and secularism, the writer's "I" today is yesterday's "I", only because the literary tree is evergreen, maintaining the continuity of "change", nothing more than the daily shift of flowers and shadows, do not feel that it "changes".

There is both a context and a main vein. The development of contemporary Jiangsu literature has its own unchanging main vein, or in other words, it is unchanged in the middle of change.

First, the backbone and humanistic feelings of intellectuals remain unchanged. Jiangsu's long tradition of "morale" is the glory of Jiangsu writers, and it is also a resource for constant reflection and examination. Scholars' essays such as Ding Fan's "Lamentations of Jiangnan", Fei Zhenzhong's "The Age of Depravity", Xia Jianyong's "The Glory of Annihilation" and "The Legend of the Grand Canal" are all works that pay tribute to the history and tradition of Jiangnan. The contemporary presentation of traditional "scholar style" is, first, the hidden traditional literati style and bone feelings, such as Wang Zengqi, Lu Wenfu, Ye Zhaoyan, Chu Fujin, etc.; the second is the adherence to the position of intellectuals, such as Chen Baichen, Dong Jian, Ding Fan, Zhu Xiaojin, Wang Binbin, Wang Yao, and so on. These two complement each other, forming the two sides of Jiangsu literati's reclusiveness and persistence, in such a heritage, can Jiangsu literature not be deeply affected? The 2013 sudden and critically acclaimed NTU campus drama "Jiang Gong's Face" shows this specific and minimal impact.

Second, realist care remains unchanged. From the perspective of actual creation, from Wang Zengqi, Gao Xiaosheng, Lu Wenfu, Zhang Xian, Zhao Benfu, Fan Xiaoqing, Zhou Meisen, etc. in the 1980s, to Su Tong and Ye Zhaoyan, who returned from the vanguard, to Bi Feiyu and Lu Min at present, the main line of realism in Jiangsu literature has never been broken; from the perspective of theoretical advocacy, from Wang Zengqi's "Back to National Tradition, Back to Realism", Gao Xiaosheng's critical realism, Lu Wenfu's "sweet and sour realism", Chen Liao's "open realism", to Ding Fan's consistent adherence to "realism is always, It can only be the mainstream of Chinese modern and contemporary literature", and Jiangsu scholars have a deep affection for realism. No matter how innovative literature is, Jiangsu literature has always maintained its concern for "people" and practical issues, never being ambitious but rooted in daily life, which has kept the core genes of realism.

Third, the spirit of exploration and pioneering remains unchanged. For example, Wang Zengqi's creation is the "clear stream" in the realist creation of the 80s; Gao Xiaosheng, while writing "Chen Yisheng Shangcheng", also experiments with novels such as "Wallet", "Fish Fishing", and "Mountain"; Zhao Benfu and Zhou Meisen are regarded as representative writers of new historical novels by scholars such as Chen Sihe and He Shaojun; Su Tong, Ye Zhaoyan, Ge Fei, etc. are representative writers of avant-garde novels, while Lu Yang of the "post-60s", Huang Xiaoyang of the "post-70s", and Chen Zhiwei of the "post-80s" have been continuing their pioneering creations; in addition, The small theater experiments of Wang Chenggang and Zhao Jiajie in the 1980s, the "rupture" action of the new generation in the 90s, the "2006 Annual Poetry Ranking" that caused an uproar in the new century, and the persistence of folk poetry publications from "They" in the 1980s to the "Nanjing Review" in the new century, all show that under the seemingly gentle and elegant appearance of Jiangsu literature, there has always been a young and wild heart, constantly changing, and insisting on individuality.

Therefore, there is actually "change" in "unchanged", and the essence lies in maintaining personality. Jiangsu writers explore individually but are not party- and there are few unified "ideological trends" or "genres". For example, the same is realism, from the older generation of Gao Xiaosheng, Lu Wenfu, Zhang Xian, etc., to the Mesozoic Fan Xiaoqing, Su Tong, Bi Feiyu, etc., to the younger Lu Min, Huang Xiaoyang, Sun Pin, etc., different. For another example, Han Dong refused to think that "They" was a literary genre or a poetry group, but only friends with similar intentions; Fan Xiaoqing, Ye Zhaoyan, and others were not "cold" to the "title" of "new realistic writer", Ye Zhaoyan said bluntly: "New realism is created by critics... Writers must take a stand and not be fooled by these lively scenes."

It is still difficult to maintain the individuality and seek its own changes, as Chen Liao said, "to open up the atmosphere before losing its 'righteousness'", or as Fu Yuanfeng said: "Pioneers are not ostentatious, and personalities are prominent but not abrupt and sharp." "How can this be? Chen Liao believes that "the relatively steady state of psychology makes Jiangsu writers in the new period not trendy, not kitsch, and a little 'celebrity' demeanor, but it does not lead to self-closure, compared with the pursuit of a group of writers who borrow from the West, are involved in the barbarism of writing or face reform directly, they are indeed very different." As a literary "outsider", the painter Ding Fang's comments on "Them" also provide corroboration: "They feel more comprehensive about themselves and have a relatively high heart, so they don't bother to study any strategy." ...... The modern artist in Jiangsu, no matter how big the differences between them, are basically loyal to their own hearts, what he originally pursued is what he is, and you will not mix that thing up to the times. ”

As stated in "The New Language of the World", "I have been with me for a long time, and I would rather be me." In such a tradition, Jiangsu literature has always respected individuality and is inclusive, but it has formed a swaying and colorful literary landscape. Therefore, Jiangsu literature has always been like this: each of them goes forward, loyal to their hearts, do whatever they want, walk and walk, unconsciously it is a new world. Just like the "ship of Theseus" in philosophy, change yes? Unchanged yeah? Yesterday I was me? Not me? However, knowing that the world of the new century is vast, the ship of Jiangsu literature will always sail far.