Beautiful Writings Collection -- Friends: Beautiful Writings Collection

Author: Jia Pingwa
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2002-10-01
Features: About "Paper Ecology"
"Paper Ecology" first is a reading perspective, proposed in response to the act of writing. Buying a book is different from buying a cup; we do not wait for a cup to tell us anything. When reading, " oneself" is lent to "others"; in reading, a book becomes a series of words, images, and ideas; in reading, "I" is invaded by another person, contemplating the truths that "he" makes "me" contemplate, and feeling the things that "he" makes "me" feel. "Paper Ecology" advocates a clear-eyed reading, hoping that all "lending" and "invasion" bring the reader clarity. Because the search for wisdom has never been in books, but within ourselves.
Secondly, "Paper Ecology" is a writing perspective, proposed in response to the phenomenon of publishing. Ancients revered oral transmission, so Socrates, Christ, Shakyamuni, and Confucius did not leave written records; they hoped their thoughts would live in the minds of their disciples. The emergence of books fundamentally changed the meaning of writing. Writing is no longer just a technique for recording; it has become a complex and independent act with its own history and its own will. Today, massive commercial publishing has once again transformed writing, making this act suspect and ambiguous. Beyond the ancient meanings of confession and mission, writing now primarily refers to entertainment, games, or hawking. "Paper Ecology" advocates a restrained writing, in which the writer should always re-examine their desires, needs, and motivations in every act of writing. Because publishing has not only changed the entire world but also every writer and their every act of writing.
Lastly, "Paper Ecology" is a publishing perspective, proposed in response to the purpose of reading. Originally, Eastern papermaking technology took over 700 years to reach the West. Today, however, the internet swept across the East from the West overnight like a storm. The internet is changing people's reading habits, transforming the civilization derived from paper, and reshaping the modern publishing industry built on paper. "Paper Ecology" calls for a cautious publishing, using this act to strive to maintain the ecological environment of reading. Because this is the only way "Paper Ecology" can survive in the electronic age. "Paper Ecology" is the name of this book series and also the foundation of our enterprise.