Double Exhibition of Chinese Prose 2002--2003

Author: Zhu Yong, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: It goes without saying that the function of this book is limited—not a self-deprecating remark. As mentioned earlier, any perspective has its limitations, with areas that can never be reached, and the combined beams of light from an shadowless spotlight may dissolve the authenticity of things. This is a dilemma faced by compilers and judges. But I believe it is at least a ladder—it may help us complete the imagination of the achievements of contemporary Chinese prose. If I haven’t placed this ladder in the wrong spot, then I believe it will adjust our perspective on contemporary prose and thus produce more authentic observations.
Chinese prose from 2002 to 2003, as usual, was mediocre and brilliant, categorized, edited, discussed, or ignored. The National Bureau of Statistics does not keep track of how many characters (or tons) of prose were produced in those two years, how many readers read or consumed it, or the average annual reading volume per person. Clearly, prose plays a far lesser role in national economic and livelihood than steel or grain. In the absence of statistical value, I cannot determine whether these proliferating characters still hold other values, and thus question the meaning of participating in such writing. The works flash and disappear every minute, like drops of water in rivers—they are not recognized or remembered. What is remembered is only the flow of the river.