The Uncertain Me

Name: The Uncertain Me
ISBN: 9787568927413

李元胜Chongqing University Press · ChinaJan 2024

4.0

Word count: 31K words
Chapters: 87
ISBN: 9787568927413

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Summary

The Uncertain Self is a selection of Li Yuansheng's original poems written between 2018 and the end of 2020. A poet with twenty years of field research experience, he finally reshaped himself and his poetry in the wilderness. This collection, one could say, was not written in a study but walked out on foot through high mountains and deep valleys.

As a widely read poet, one of Li Yuansheng's hallmarks is lucidity; in this collection he strives all the more to contain deeper reveries within a simple form, and to pass the primal poetry he captured in the wilderness, without obstruction, into readers' hearts, encouraging them to draw beauty and strength from nature and history.

Following readers' suggestions, the collection also includes the poet's essays on three important topics: his personal reading, poetry writing in the cloud era, and the relationship between wilderness and poetry.

Editor's review

The Uncertain Self is a collection of prose essays by the poet Li Yuansheng. It is not an autobiography or a work of intellectual argument in the conventional sense, but rather a map of spiritual wandering carefully sketched in words. The book gathers travel notes, reading reflections, and life observations from recent years, and its central appeal lies in fusing poetic sensitivity with intellectual contemplation, guiding readers through natural wilderness and inner landscapes. With a poet's delicate touch, Li Yuansheng depicts the miniature world of insects and plants, and against the vast backdrops of mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, questions the meaning and boundaries of individual existence. The book's exploration of "uncertainty" does not offer definitive answers; instead, through concrete observation and introspection, it presents an attitude toward life and a philosophical perspective that accepts flux and embraces the unknown. This writing lifts the book beyond ordinary travelogue or essay, making it a sincere record of how to settle the self and remain curious and clear-eyed in an unpredictable age. Its value lies not in accumulated information but in the space for reflection it opens and the distinctive aesthetic experience it offers.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a strong interest in nature writing and ecological literature
Those seeking deep reading and inner calm in a fragmented age
Literature lovers who enjoy prose that combines poetic style with philosophical reflection
Individuals in transition or exploration, thinking about the relationship between self and world

Not a good fit for

Readers looking for clear methodologies or practical guides
Readers who prefer plot-driven, fast-paced genre fiction

Reading tips

Read in a relatively quiet, undisturbed setting to better immerse yourself in the atmosphere and thoughts created by the text.
There is no need to finish it in one sitting; keep it as a bedside book or travel companion and dip into different chapters as the mood takes you.
Reading it alongside Li Yuansheng's poetry (such as "I Want to Waste Time with You") offers a more complete understanding of his creative trajectory and inner world.

About the publisher

Chongqing University Press China · Founded in 1985

Chongqing University Press is a comprehensive university press whose publishing areas span social and cultural studies, industrial technology, finance and economics, medicine, social psychology, and theory. Judging from its catalog, the press publishes both academic works and popular science titles. Representative books include E. H. Gombrich's Shadows: The Depiction of Cast Shadows in Western Art, Magnesium-Based Hydrogen Storage Materials by Pan Fusheng et al., Research on China's Regional Spatial Development Models by Sun Jiuwen, and titles from the Gynecologic Oncology Committee of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, such as the Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Common Gynecologic Malignancies in China (2019) and Bipolar Disorder: What You and Your Family Need to Know. Its authors work in art history, materials science, regional economics, clinical medicine, and social research methods. Public information is limited, but its publishing profile combines academic translation, industrial technology, and practical medical guides.

版权信息
车站
想起洛杉矶的一个傍晚
清明
台阶散发出的光
我们曾坐在屋顶上
春酿
陈子昂读书台
有时
山谷
悬崖上的黄杜鹃
蓑衣岭
访大瓦山不遇
胭脂岭，和张新泉先生一起遇蛇
禅房习字图
塘河遇雨
绝境：重读九寨沟
树正寨歌谣
灵空山
油松的旅行
群峰之上
河床
观音岩
远方
南山之忆
玉苍山之南看明月升
速写：重庆大众书局
海上日落
玉苍山
实验室的下午茶
报国寺
兰州，又见黄河
过三沙北礁
赵述岛的采螺人
月亮背面
启示
那色峰海
菜花谣
树之忆
独墅湖图书馆
圣莲岛之忆
石漠
坡教村的甘蔗林
暮归图
给
给
汨罗江边的屈原
屈子祠眺望湿地
洞庭湖之诗
杜甫
东湖
祝酒辞
小心眼
毛边书，或缙云寺闻《九溪漫步》
金钢碑
给
没人想在二月死去
不确定的我
给
好吧，我们聊聊蝴蝶
开满大百合的山谷
箴言
寻茶记
写在星空栈道
双河客栈
题岳池农家
双河客栈饮茶记
题晶花洞
题地下裂缝
黄葛古道遇雨
巴山秋日赋
在桃溪谷
我所有
黛湖
在合肥植物园
狮子峰
在向田村
另一种恐惧
西沙湾之晨
聚龙山下饮茶记
崇武看海
祝酒辞
行酒令
好吧，我们聊聊咖啡
我的八十年代阅读
云时代与诗歌的随想
旷野的诗意

FAQ

How is this book related to the author's poetry collections?

This book represents Li Yuansheng's prose writing and shares a common lineage with his poetry: a deep observation of the natural world, philosophical reflection on time and life, and a condensed, tension-rich language style. The more concrete, more expansive narratives in the essays can be seen as extensions and annotations of his poetic imagery; the two illuminate each other and together build the author's distinctive literary universe.

What does "uncertainty" mainly refer to in the book?

"Uncertainty" in the book is a multidimensional concept. It refers to the flux of the external world (natural landscapes, encounters on journeys), to the exploration and unfinished state of the inner self, and to the confusion and possibility that pervade modern life. The author does not respond passively; rather, through concrete walking, observation, and writing, he seeks a dynamic balance and confirmation in dialogue with the world, turning uncertainty into a source of creation and discovery.

How difficult is this book to read?

The language is beautiful and condensed, without the daunting terminology of academic works, but because it is rich in contemplation and metaphor, it requires some patience and focus to savor. It offers no easy diversion; instead it invites readers on a slow, deep spiritual walk. It suits readers willing to slow down and follow the text into introspection and imagination.

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About the author

李元胜 Author

Li Yuansheng is a Chinese author whose work spans modern poetry and nature-travel writing, with six titles held in the collection. Based on the available information alone, public material on his nationality, dates of birth and death, education, and awards is limited, so a detailed account of his life is difficult to provide. His writing broadly follows two threads: modern poetry, represented by works such as Hoarse, The Uncertain Me, and The Time Difference Between Me and All Things, which uses restrained language to explore the subtle distance between the self, time, and the world; and nature-travel writing, represented by Tropical Rainforest Butterfly-Watching and The Poetics of the Wilderness: Li Yuansheng's Natural History Travel Notes, which blends natural observation with personal reflection. Other works, such as Crossing My Own Seabed, further reflect his continued writing of inner experience, with an overall style that combines poetic sensibility and care for nature.