Then I was very young

Author: Xie Mian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: When this brilliant starlight illuminates the literary sky, we are surprised to find that they, like us, all have a history of serving in the military. Whether they are celebrated masters and giants in literature or professors and scholars who have nurtured countless students, whether they are pioneers on the shore of new-era literature or forerunners of the literary trends of the new century; in their youth, they left green imprints filled with masculine beauty on their lives. The unique aura of soldiers transforms into profound life insights, and their distinctive character unfolds into beautiful rhythms of life. In their works, you can surely catch the resounding songs of the military. The words dance with the fire of youth, and the ink flows with the passion of military life. The years they spent in military uniforms and the songs of their past are emotions that will never fade. Reading the "Collection of Veteran Authors," one can see that these white-haired elders, most of whom were born in the 1930s, have the fire of youth dancing in their words and the passion of military life flowing from their pens. They cherish their youth so dearly, and when they recall the years they wore military uniforms, their hearts always surge with emotion. Although all are essays and sketches, their styles are distinct: Liu Baiyu's enduring elegance, Lin Fei's simplicity, Li Guowen's wisdom, Deng Youmei's calm and tranquil demeanor, and Liu Meng's sincere and authentic nature. However, when viewed as a whole, there is one thing they share in common: their expressions of military life are all deeply and genuinely heartfelt. Whether they depict the charm of battlefields, the scenery of frontier regions, the camaraderie of fellow soldiers, or praise the bright moon of their hometowns, their works are filled with the sentiments of soldiers. As Zhao Dayan and Deng Youmei said, after 70 or 80 years of life, looking back carefully, the experience of wearing a military uniform still has the greatest impact on them. The military camp shapes one's personality, teaches sincerity, and instills a spirited character, teaching people to face difficulties with unwavering resolve. Perhaps it is because of this military experience in life that, despite many hardships and adversities in their later years, they stood tall, carved out their own space, and achieved their own brilliance. Therefore, when they chose to write their experiences in the "Collection of Veteran Authors," they approached it with more seriousness and dedication than any of their major works in life. Life stories and personal experiences unfold in their writing, inspiring readers to think deeply and strive forward. These works serve as textbooks, telling readers about the colorful chapters of life. In this book, "Marching into the Military" was written anew at Chen Xianyi's request. In total, it is not much. However, I managed to find "I Joined the Revolutionary Ranks" written before the founding of the People's Republic of China, which holds some significance. The author joined the army in August 1949. This was the author's first work after wearing a military uniform and also the last work written by the author before joining the People's Liberation Army. The other several volumes of texts are mostly unrelated to military life and are instead connected to the author's academic career. The author's academic research focused on literary history and literary criticism, particularly the study of poetry history and theoretical criticism of new poetry. Later, the author's field of guidance for master's and doctoral students was modern and contemporary Chinese literature, so the scope covered not only poetry but also broader areas beyond poetry. The author has also published many books on poetry. However, the texts outside of poetry have never been compiled and published. This time, I took the opportunity to dig out these articles, organize them, and this is the content of the second, third, fourth, and fifth volumes of the book, which include works on novels, essays, as well as drama, film, television, and other art forms.