21st Century Chinese Literature Series 2005 Prose

Author: Han Zhongliang, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-27
Features: Expert perspective, folk stance, authoritative selection, serving as an archive for the century's literature. The earliest annual essay anthology published in Taiwan, edited by figures like Yu Guangzhong. In those years when access to Taiwanese literary journals was extremely difficult, these anthologies became my window to understanding the context of Taiwanese essays. Over time, connecting those anthologies in chronological order would form a history of the development of Taiwanese essays. This was my initial understanding of the significance of annual anthologies. Now, editing an annual essay anthology has become my annual task, and my understanding has shifted. The massive volume of published essays has made this work of sifting through the vast ocean increasingly accidental. It is precisely this accidentality that deconstructs the "historical value" of the anthology. Currently, there are at least ten essay anthologies published in China, and these ten anthologies, all claiming the title of "the best," feature different selections. Just as different people may arrive at different answers when faced with the same teaching question, the diverse answers leave us confused, unable to confirm the "correct" one. The so-called "the best" does not actually exist, as it requires corroboration, much like a math problem—regardless of who solves it, the outcome should be consistent. Beyond the hidden commercial motives, these vastly different anthologies reveal the essence of contemporary essays—mediocrity, triviality, the fragmentation of individuality, and a detachment from sensationalism.