Selected Prose Works of Shi Pingmei

Author: Shi Pingmei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: The tide of the May Fourth Movement once carried a group of Chinese literary talents to the starry sky of modern literature. Following Bing Xin and Feng Yuanjun, Shi Pingmei appeared alongside Lu Yin and Lu Jingqing. Though she was like a comet that flashed across the sky and vanished, her cold and radiant brilliance has forever shone in the annals of modern literature. Shi Pingmei (1902—1928) was one of the shortest-lived female writers of modern Chinese literature. Therefore, Lu Yin lamented that she withered in the "blossom full of color and fragrance" at a young age, "dying in the bleak autumn wind!" Shi Pingmei was from Pingding County, Shanxi Province. Her childhood name was Xinzhu, and her given name was Rubi. Due to her admiration for the beauty and steadfastness of plum blossoms, she took the pen name Shi Pingmei. Additionally, she used other pen names such as Lady Pingmei, Bowei, Shuxue, Binghua, Xinzhu, Mengdai, and Linna, among others. Shi Pingmei's father, Shi Ming (also known as Ming Dingcheng), was a Jinshi (a degree holder in the imperial examinations) during the late Qing Dynasty. Shi Pingmei's mother was her father's second wife, and both regarded her as their pearl in the palm. Shi Pingmei received a nurturing education at home from a young age: her father taught her the "Four Books" and the "Book of Songs." In addition to home education, Shi Pingmei attended Taiyuan Normal School Affiliated Primary School and Taiyuan Women's Normal School, achieving excellent results. Apart from her passion for literature, she also loved painting, calligraphy, music, and sports, making her a naturally talented and versatile woman.