Veteran's Series--Very Young at That Time

Author: Xie Mian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
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 trendsetters on the shore of new-era literature or pioneers of the literary changes in the new century; in their youth, they carved a green mark of masculine beauty onto their lives. The unique aura of soldiers transforms into profound life insights, and their distinctive character weaves a magnificent rhythm 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 uniform and the melodic memories are emotions that never fade. Reading the "Collection of Veteran Authors," one can see that these white-haired elders, most of whom were born in the 1930s, are filled with the fire of youth and the passion of military life in their words. They cherish their youth so dearly, and when they recall the years in uniform, 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 genuine nature. However, when viewed as a whole, there is one thing they share in common: their expressions of military life are all deeply heartfelt. Whether they depict the charm of battlefields, the scenery of frontier regions, the camaraderie of fellow soldiers, or the bright moon of their hometowns, their works are filled with the spirit of soldiers. As Zhao Dayan and Deng Youmei said, after 70 or 80 years of life, looking back carefully, what has influenced them the most is their experience in uniform. The military camp shapes one's personality, teaches sincerity, and instills a spirited character, teaching people to face difficulties head-on. Perhaps it is precisely because of this military experience that, in the years that followed, despite many hardships and adversities, they stood tall, carved out their own space, and achieved their brilliance. Therefore, when they wrote their experiences under the title "Collection of Veteran Authors," they were more serious and dedicated than in any of their major works in life. Life stories and personal experiences unfold in their words, inspiring readers to think deeply and strive forward. These works are like textbooks, telling readers about the colorful lives. In this book, "Marching into the Military" was newly written at Chen Xianyi's request. In total, it is only a small amount. 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. It 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 sections of text are mostly unrelated to military life and only pertain to the author's academic career. The author's academic research focused on literary history and literary criticism, particularly the study of poetic history and theoretical criticism of modern poetry. Later, as a supervisor for master's and doctoral students in modern and contemporary Chinese literature, the scope extended beyond poetry to broader fields. The author has also published many books on poetry. However, the texts outside of poetry have never been collected and published. This time, I took the opportunity to dig out these articles, them, and this is the content of the second, third, fourth, and fifth sections of the book, which include works on novels, essays, as well as drama, film, television, and other art forms.