Glad Tidings cover

Glad Tidings

Rating 3.6
Word count
140K words
Chapters
33
ISBN
9787566815187

Tags

Summary

Literature is the cause of the unsuccessful, yet things have their own perfection, and small paths are worth observing. Centered on the New Normal Writing Project, this book invites distinguished cultural figures from within and beyond the province—Huang Lihai, Shi Bin, Yu Jian, Yu Bang, Liu Bo, Wang Jiaxin, Yu Nu, Shen Haobo, Yu Xiang, Chen Chongzheng, Wei Sixiao, Ma La, Li Yiliang, Liu Xiangyang, and others—to contribute essays. The subjects are varied, with content leaning toward literary, intellectual, and artistic qualities. It respects prejudice, values independence, refuses pandering, seeks spiritual exchange among kindred spirits, and responds to like-minded readers.

Editor's review

Xiwen is an experimental poetry collection by the poet Yu Cong, its title taken from a Buddhist term meaning the joy of hearing the Dharma. The work continues Yu Cong's consistently restrained and condensed language style while exploring themes and imagery more deeply. Most of the pieces collected here are short and compact, yet between the lines they contain keen observation of daily life and philosophical reflection. Yu Cong excels at turning seemingly ordinary objects—a stone, a gust of wind, a silent afternoon—into vessels carrying complex emotions, allowing readers to feel, behind the simple words, the weight of time and the subtle tremor of existence.

Unlike much poetry on the market that pursues ornate rhetoric or intense emotional release, Xiwen is closer to 'cold lyricism' or 'intellectual writing.' Its value lies not in offering immediate emotional resonance but in inviting readers into a space of contemplation and introspection. The recurring keywords in the poems—'silence,' 'observation,' 'trace'—construct an aesthetic world both detached and focused. For readers familiar with modern poetry, especially those who prefer the poetic lines of Bei Dao, Duo Duo, Wang Jiaxin, and similar poets, the precise control of imagery and deep cultivation of Chinese poetic language that Yu Cong displays in Xiwen have distinctive reading value. It is a poetic response to a noisy world, attempting to capture within fragmented experience those stable and enduring glimmers of the spirit.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Readers interested in the intellectual writing and cold lyricism of modern Chinese poetry
  • Readers who wish to gain contemplative and introspective experiences from simple, condensed texts
  • Literary creators or poetry enthusiasts intending to study image construction and language experimentation in contemporary poetry
  • People seeking moments of spiritual calm and philosophical solace in busy lives

Not a good fit for

  • Readers expecting traditional metrical poetry or strongly romantic lyric poetry
  • Light readers who prefer rich plots and highly narrative texts

Reading tips

  1. It is recommended to read in a relatively quiet, undisturbed environment in order to enter the contemplative atmosphere the poetry requires
  2. There is no need to finish it all at once; one can savor a few poems each day and repeatedly chew over their imagery and blank spaces
  3. While reading, one may place one's own life experience alongside the observations in the poems, perhaps producing unique personal interpretations

About the publisher

Jinan University Press China · Founded in 1989

Jinan University Press is a comprehensive university press known for publishing in language and writing, history and culture, and medicine. Judging from the 2,481 titles in the database, its publishing focuses on language and writing research, the compilation of unearthed documents, Chinese culture and Eastern philosophy, traditional Chinese medicine, and grassroots medical standards. Representative books include the Chinese Dictionary (Second Edition), the series on the collected interpretation and modern translation of Warring States documents from the Language Services Series and the series on the language of unearthed documents, Chinese Cultural Psychology (6th Edition), Illustrated Compendium of Traditional Chinese Medicine Processing Techniques, and Construction and Technical Standards for Standardized Bronchoscopy Rooms in Primary-Level Pediatrics. In terms of authors, scholars such as Zhu Cheng, Zhang Yujin, Wang Fengyan, Zheng Hong, Cao Hui and Ma Zhiguo form its author base in language and documents, cultural psychology, and traditional Chinese medicine. In terms of publishing characteristics, the press emphasizes the collected interpretation and modern translation of unearthed documents and language service research, while also systematically organizing cultural psychology and medical techniques. Public information on specific matters such as overseas Chinese-language education is limited and is therefore not elaborated here.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 卷首语
  3. 开卷
  4. 只要大地上还有一个囚徒……
  5. 长着马脸的阿拉伯人
  6. 危险的中年
  7. 自我体制化,才是最可怕的
  8. 小说
  9. 秋风祸事
  10. 请对死人尊重点
  11. 老虎、狮子或明亮的月光
  12. 随笔
  13. 棕皮手记2014
  14. 如何瞬间消灭耗子民族
  15. 谎言、真话与悲悯的孤独者
  16. 词语的秘密
  17. 诗歌
  18. 王家新的诗
  19. 沈浩波的诗
  20. 余怒的诗
  21. 孙磊的诗
  22. 宇向的诗
  23. 周公度的诗
  24. 黑光的诗
  25. 唐不遇的诗
  26. 幽灵飞机
  27. 评论
  28. 退藏于密
  29. 后来者的命运及其自由诗学理想
  30. 翻译
  31. 笔记本
  32. 杰克·吉尔伯特诗选
  33. 作者

FAQ

What exactly is the poetic style of Xiwen?
The poetic style of Xiwen is generally restrained, condensed, and intellectual. The language is concise yet dense, emphasizing precise imagery and the undercurrent of inner emotion, avoiding direct lyricism and creating a quiet, detached yet tension-filled aesthetic space.
What is the author Yu Cong's creative background?
Yu Cong is a contemporary Chinese poet whose work is often classified within the writing lineage after 'third-generation poetry.' He emphasizes the 'object-oriented' quality of poetry and the distillation of everyday experience, has published several poetry collections, and has attracted some attention in poetry circles for his calm, profound, and distinctive style.
Is this book suitable for poetry beginners?
It is somewhat challenging. It is better suited to readers who have already had some exposure to modern poetry and are willing to engage in close reading. Beginners may need more patience to adapt to its implicit mode of expression, but this itself can be a beneficial reading exercise.

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About the author

余丛 Author

Yu Cong: publicly available information is limited. His writing and editorial work center mainly on poetry and the arts and humanities. Seven of his works are held in the collection, spanning classical poetry, modern poetry, classic works, biography, art, and social fiction. In poetry, titles such as The Poems of Dong Dangzi, Flowers Used as Metaphors, and Joyful News, along with his compilation Letters as if Meeting Face to Face—Manuscripts of Contemporary Poets, show a sustained attention to contemporary poetic texts and poets' manuscripts. In the humanities and arts, Tan He Rong Yi: He Jianning's Paintings and the People Around Him takes a painter as its subject, while Forever Ruan Zhangjing belongs to biographical writing. He has also been involved in fiction selections such as Twelve Novelists of Zhongshan. Overall, his work combines creation, compilation, and art commentary, crossing poetry, biography, and regional fiction, and reflects a dual interest in words and the visual arts.

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