Wandering

Author: Sun Yanjun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Drifting is one of the most interesting books I have read in recent years. It is an authentic record of interviews, titled by the author as Interviews with Marginal People. However, in my view, this title is somewhat problematic. The dozens of characters in the book appear to be society's "marginal people" on the surface, but in a more fundamental sense, they are the "majority" of this society. It is they who form the base of the pyramid, the resilient, silent, and humble Chinese "people." "Mainstream" and "margin" are opposing concepts. In my understanding, "mainstream" represents the minority, while "margin" represents the majority. Therefore, instead of calling the subtitle Interviews with Marginal People, it would be more appropriate to call it The Truth of China's Underclass. The interviewees come from all walks of life: from killers and miracle doctors to beggars and drunkards, from sex workers and clients to wandering painters and folk artists. They show us a world that is unfamiliar yet strangely familiar. The protagonists may be distant from us, or they may be right beside us. Their expressions may sound like messages from outer space to us, or like everyday conversations. They may be utterly foolish or exceptionally intelligent, young as a blank sheet of paper or weathered as an old ginger root. When intellectuals in the 1990s leisurely sat in cafes, squinting at the neon lights outside the windows, the once-famous poet Liao Yiwu from the 1980s took steady steps toward the grassroots and completed this "interview that has never existed in the history of Chinese journalism" with years of effort. I believe the author of this book is not just Liao Yiwu (Lao Wei) but also the interviewees, who together completed it with their hearts. A large part of Drifting consists of characters from "that era," who have merely survived into "this era." Their significance lies more in "documentary" and "archaeological" terms. What I am more concerned about is the expressions of those who directly participate in and create this era. For example, the so-called "three-companions" are indeed "marginal people," but in terms of numbers, they number in the millions or even tens of millions—not a "small group." Apart from contempt, we have almost no other attitude toward them. Therefore, I deeply admire the interviewer's attention to them—they are“” (), just like us. Listening to their voices is a true way to show respect for "freedom," rather than flying into the heavens and talking about "freedom" in books. One "three-companions" frankly says: "I'm uneducated and have no skills. I can't explain the big principles, I just hope to live a peaceful life and earn more money." When talking about the future, she says: "Ideally, I would meet my (white horse prince) in a strange place, and I would definitely change my appearance and start over. Now that medicine is advanced, it's easy to become a pure-hearted girl." How one understands "prostitute" reveals how one understands China—through moral absolutism, utilitarianism, or humanism. I can sense that Lao Wei adopts the latter approach. For such authentic expressions, we need not engage in any value judgments or theoretical analyses—we are dealing with life itself. Today, the intellectual circles are avidly discussing grand topics like postmodernism, post-colonialism, traditional Chinese culture, global capitalism, etc. I have no interest in these grand but irrelevant topics, as they have nothing to do with "China" in a specific time and space. These articles are written in square characters mixed with English, printed on pale paper. Instead, I would like to express my heartfelt respect for Lao Wei's choice and practice. This "non-journalistic" and even "anti-journalistic" record, because of its authenticity, has gained eternal life. In this era, writing poetry is too luxurious, so the exceptionally talented Liao Yiwu abandoned it. However, the paradoxical, clear yet ambiguous expressions of these grassroots people have, in another sense, approached the essence of poetry.