Author: Huang Chang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Since the 1940s, Huang Chang began consciously collecting handwritten calligraphy and ink works from his fellow writers and scholars. Over time, the collection grew, and dozens of modern masters such as Zhang Yuanji, Shen Yimò, Ma Xùlún, Deng Zhichéng, Zhou Zuorén, Xu Shoucháng, Shen Congwen, Fei Ming, Mao Dun, Zhu Ziqing, Ba Jin, Bing Xin, Cao Yu, Ye Shengtao, Yu Pingbo, Qian Zhongshu, and Yang Xiang were invited to inscribe for the collection. During the Cultural Revolution, these manuscripts, like the author's library, were unable to escape fate and were confiscated in their entirety. After the Cultural Revolution, part of the private collection was "recovered," leading to this collection of over thirty "Reminiscences of Happiness" texts. The (essays) take the handwritten calligraphy of writers and scholars as their starting point, either recording the author's interactions with them or commenting on their lives, creative works, and research, or evaluating their calligraphic styles. The style resembles that of a teacher-friend's memoir but also incorporates elements of a biographical critique. Now, most of these modern masters have passed away, and the paper trails have turned into historical remnants. Reencountering the masters through the preserved ink works, one reflects on their moral integrity and literary achievements, stirring deep emotions.