Essential Writings -- Fashion: Essential Writings

Author: Jia Pingwa
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: About "Paper Ecology"
"Paper Ecology" is first a reading perspective, proposed in response to the act of writing. Buying a book is different from buying a cup; we don’t wait for a cup to tell us something. When reading, "the self" is lent to "others"; in reading, the book becomes a series of words, images, and ideas; in reading, "I" is invaded by someone else, contemplating the they make "me" think about and feeling the things they make "me" experience. "Paper Ecology" advocates a clear-headed reading, hoping that all lending and invasion bring readers clarity. Because the search for wisdom never lies in books but within ourselves.
Secondly, "Paper Ecology" is a writing perspective, proposed in response to the phenomenon of publishing. Ancients valued oral transmission, so Socrates, Christ, Buddha, and Confucius did not leave written records—they hoped their thoughts would live in their disciples’ minds. The appearance of books, however, changed the meaning of writing. Writing is no longer just a skill for recording; it has become a complex and independent act with its own history and will. Today, mass commercial publishing has once again altered writing, making the act suspect and ambiguous. Beyond the ancient meanings of confiding, missions, and the like, writing is increasingly about entertainment, games, or merchandising. "Paper Ecology" promotes restrained writing, where the writer should continually 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 every act of writing.
Finally, "Paper Ecology" is a publishing perspective, proposed in response to the purpose of reading. Originally, Eastern papermaking took over 700 years to spread to the West. Today, however, the internet swept across the East like a storm overnight. The internet is changing people’s reading habits, altering the civilization derived from paper, and reshaping the modern publishing industry built on paper. "Paper Ecology" calls for cautious publishing, using this act to work 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 endeavor.