Children of the Dogwood: A Biography of Yu Guangzhong

Author: Fu Mengli
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: A single poem, "Nostalgia," moved hundreds of millions of Chinese people. Get closer to the master, experience the extraordinary life and times of the great man. Mr. Yu Guangzhong has exclusively authorized this publishing house to publish the Simplified Chinese edition. I write because I have no choice, like a sneeze that unexpectedly sprays out rainbows; or like a cough that becomes music. I write to refine stones and mend the sky. — Yu Guangzhong Writing poetry is for self-entertainment. Writing essays is for entertaining others. Writing criticism, especially prefaces, is for entertaining friends. Translation is for entertaining my wife, because translation work is steady and income is reliable. The copyrights of these four things will be divided among my four daughters in the future. — Yu Guangzhong If a person is too unfeeling, always rationally severing emotional ties with a sharp sword, life would be too dull, like a poor conductor. But if one is too self-absorbed, causing chaos every time love strikes and turning it into tragedy, that would be too naive. Love and beauty are different. Love arises from real life, while beauty depends on the right distance. — Yu Guangzhong From a thin narcissus to the confident and graceful woman she is today, Fan Wocun has always been Yu Guangzhong’s best “”. She did not lose herself because of Yu Guangzhong’s fame. She possesses great wisdom, skillfully mastering the bigger picture. Whether in Yu Guangzhong’s literary world or private life, she confidently and freely participates. — Fu Mengli This biography, written by Fu Mengli who is familiar with Yu Guangzhong’s life journey, delves into his works after thorough reading, interviews the subject and his closest family and friends, gradually entering the master’s inner world. It weaves together his significant works from different periods and his life experiences into a complete life story, allowing readers to see the master’s “crossing the mountain sees peaks on the side” perspective from both front and back. Yu Guangzhong’s poem "Nostalgia" is widely circulated in mainland China, leading many to label him as a “nostalgia poet.” In reality, Yu Guangzhong’s life works include hundreds of essays and over a thousand poems, covering many themes beyond nostalgia. His sentiments and reflections are all reflected in his poetry and prose. His transitions between the mother tongue and foreign languages, colloquial and classical styles, are not only evident in all his works but also in every word of his translations. This biography was published in Taiwan seven years ago. The mainland new edition, in Simplified Chinese, adds details of Yu Guangzhong’s lectures and publications across mainland China, as well as some poems, allowing readers to get closer to the master and experience his extraordinary life and times!