China Prose Biennial Exhibition

Author: Zhu Yong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: It goes without saying that the function of this book is limited—not a self-deprecating remark. As mentioned earlier, any perspective has its limitations, with (areas that can never be reached), and the combined beams of all lights () would dissolve the authenticity of things. This is a dilemma faced by compilers and critics. But I believe it is at least a ladder—it may help us complete the imagination of the achievements of contemporary Chinese prose. If I haven’t placed this ladder in the wrong position, then I believe it will adjust our perspective on contemporary prose and, in turn, produce more authentic observations.
Chinese prose from 2002 to 2003, as usual, was mediocre and brilliant, categorized, edited, discussed, or ignored. The National Bureau of Statistics does not keep track of how many words (or tons) of prose were produced in those two years, how many readers read or consumed it, or the average annual reading volume per person. Clearly, the role of prose in national economic and livelihood is far inferior to that of steel or grain. In the absence of statistical value, I cannot determine whether these proliferating characters still hold other values, and thus question the significance of participating in such writing. The works appear and disappear every minute, like drops of water in a river—they are not recognized or remembered. What is remembered is only the flow rate of the river.