Paper and ink fragrance

Author: Peng Yanjiao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Peng Yanjiao is a renowned poet of the "July Group." In his early years, he joined the New Fourth Army and began publishing poems in 1939. He served as the executive director of the Guilin Branch of the All-China Writers' Association during the early years of the liberation. In the early 1950s, he worked as an associate editor for the literary supplement of The Guangming Daily. From 1950 onwards, he taught at Hunan University, Hunan Normal College, and Xiangtan University. In his early career, he published long poetry collections such as Spring—The Temptation of the Earth and Mom, Me, and the Songs I Sing, which are filled with the freshness of the earth and the optimistic spirit of struggle. His works are pure, profound, and rich in prose-like beauty. Since the late 1950s, he has been engaged in the collection and research of folk literature for many years. In recent years, he has published works such as Selected Poems of Peng Yanjiao and served as the editor-in-chief of International Poetry Review. He has also written An Introduction to Folk Literature, compiled and edited Selected Songs of Hunan, and led the compilation of the "Hunan Folk Literature Series." Peng Yanjiao has a rich life experience and possesses varying degrees of expertise in fields such as literature, art, music, translation, and editing. The Fragrance of Ink and Paper naturally becomes a comprehensive collection of literary essays, covering not only critiques of ancient books but also introductions to modern and contemporary works, as well as notes on world classics and foreign poetry, and appreciations of folk art. Additionally, each essay is accompanied by relevant images, allowing readers to enjoy the pleasure of reading while exploring various aspects of knowledge, historical records, and anecdotes. Truly, it is beneficial to open every page.
The first section, "Jianzhai Book Talk," primarily reflects on the emotions and sentiments of book lovers regarding buying, reading, collecting, and memorizing books. Reading it gives one the delightful feeling of scratching the itch of a book lover. The second section, "Jianzhai Book Connections," recalls the warm memories of reading during the author's childhood, from which one can also sense the roots of his later reading preferences. The third section, "Jianzhai Book Annotations," enthusiastically introduces the carefully collected books to the readers, making book collectors envy his collection. The fourth section, "Jianzhai Reading Notes," includes recent reading notes such as Notes on Maupassant and The Popularity of The Bridges of Madison County. The fifth section, "Jianzhai Observations," consists of two articles: Publisher Hu Yuzhi and Translating Poetry—A Reader's Recollection. These two articles are rich in historical material and hold special significance for the study of modern Chinese publishing history.