Casual

Name: Casual
ISBN: 9787301241684

王小妮Peking University Press · ChinaAug 2025

4.0

Word count: 195K words
Chapters: 40
ISBN: 9787301241684

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Summary

This book collects essays the author wrote "offhand," touching on what poetry writing means for individuals and society, the poet's distinctive existential state today, and how a poet's inner world takes shape or comes apart. Running through these pieces is the author's consistent quality as a writer: attention to what is slow, small, and hidden, to detail and depth, and from detail and depth a fresh, delicate poetic sensibility and calm, concrete reflection. The book has four parts: "The Core of Living," "The Carpenter to the Blacksmith," "Offhand," and "Poetry Can Largely Do Harm."

Editor's review

Offhand is a poet's inward look. The title is light; the weight is not: Wang Xiaoni treats poetry writing as a way into the relationship between the individual and the times, discussing the poet's existential state, the shaping and scattering of the inner life, and the slow, small, hidden things so often overlooked. The four parts have distinct emphases: "The Core of Living" leans toward lived experience, "The Carpenter to the Blacksmith" shows the texture of poetic dialogue, "Offhand" gathers everyday thoughts, and the final section points directly at the dangers and warnings poetry may bring. The prose does not show off; it speaks through detail and depth, with a delicate poetic quality beneath its calm. It is not a poetry tutorial but more a writer's notes of self-examination, and it will move those who write poetry, those who read it, and anyone concerned with literature and the individual's spiritual situation.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy Wang Xiaoni's poetry and essays and want to understand her views on writing
Those who are writing poetry or trying to write poetry and need a reference for creative reflection
Literary enthusiasts interested in contemporary poetry and the individual's spiritual condition
Quiet readers who prefer slow, careful reading and short essays

Not a good fit for

Readers looking for a systematic textbook on poetry theory or a guide to writing methods
General fiction readers accustomed to strong plots and fast-paced narrative

Reading tips

Read in the order of the four parts; begin with "The Core of Living" to establish the overall context before moving on to the other sections
Read one or two pieces a day and leave time to savor them; there is no need to finish the book in one sitting
When reading "The Carpenter to the Blacksmith," pay attention to the author's specific statements on poetics and take brief notes
When something resonates, go back and reread that passage to feel how the details generate poetic quality

About the publisher

Peking University Press China · Founded in 1979

Peking University Press is a comprehensive university press whose publishing areas cover classical literature, popular science, social culture, world history, Western philosophy, and culture. Its catalogue contains 6,031 titles, with representative books including A Dream of Red Mansions, Relativity: The Special and General Theory (15th Edition) (with Einstein's classic papers on unified field theory and other topics), Elements, Conics, The Aristocratic Families of the Eastern Jin, The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume I), The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume II), and The Origin of Continents and Oceans. Representative authors include Cao Xueqin, Zhou Ruchang, Albert Einstein, Euclid, Apollonius, Tian Yuqing, Schelling, and Xian Gang. The press has developed distinctive strengths in classical Chinese literature and in the translation of Western philosophical classics, while also covering scientific classics and social and cultural studies. As public information is limited, this description is based only on the books in the catalogue and offers no further extrapolation.

版权信息
汉园新诗批评文丛·缘起
活着之核
我写诗
诗像细网
诗是什么
诗人的空间
我看见人群
一个固执的不合作者
小说的当下性和诗意
张联的傍晚
在不平静的年代，一个年轻人写着平静的诗
对《赤子心》另外六个人说
结实的文字
二十年后，看到兰亚明的诗稿
木匠致铁匠
老老实实地写字
在瘴疠之气中写作
该怎样描述银河
不工作的人
我和这个世界上的文学
木匠致铁匠
随手
札记
诗很大程度是可以害人的
文学将越来越丧失伟大的功能
我想写就写，不想就停
诗很大程度是可以害人的
女人更适于写作
“专业性”成了我最大的敌人
人和人的感受都很相近
我写诗跟写其他字没太大区别
诗不是生活，我们不能活反了
诗意的栖居，是个很虚妄的说法
写诗几乎是不需要时间的
诗其实大部分已溜走
最松弛的状态，就是最发力的状态
诗也有它自己的事
今天的诗意
文学·生活·未来

FAQ

Is this book a poetry collection or an essay collection?

It is an essay collection. The book gathers prose essays the author wrote casually, centered on the meaning of writing poetry, the poet's condition of existence, and the formation of the inner life; it does not collect the poems themselves. Readers can approach it as a poet's prose reflections on poetry and on life.

Can I read this book without any background in poetry?

Yes. The discussions of poetry mostly start from personal experience and concrete feelings, and the language is plain rather than dependent on specialized terminology. Readers without a poetry background can still follow the text, though their grasp of certain poetic topics may be shallower; it is best to read it as a collection of prose essays.

Are the four parts connected?

Each of the four parts has its own focus, but they share a common atmosphere: "The Core of Living" leans toward lived experience, "The Carpenter to the Blacksmith" involves a dialogue on poetics, "Casual Notes" records everyday thoughts, and the final section discusses the possible dangers of poetry. Together they present the author's sustained thinking about poetry and existence; reading them in order makes the thread clearer.

Is it suitable as a reference book for a writing course?

It can serve as supplementary reading. The book's reflections on writing are thought-provoking, but it is not a tutorial and offers no steps or methods. If a writing course wants to cite its views, the instructor will need to organize them; individual readers can find a point of reference in the author's self-examination.

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About the author

王小妮 Author

Wang Xiaoni is a Chinese-language writer whose work spans modern poetry, prose and miscellaneous writings, and biography. The library currently holds three of her works: Selected Poems of Wang Xiaoni, Jilin University Volume of the Ivy Poetry Series; Suishou (Casual Notes); and Xiao Hong: A Bird Flying Low. These titles show her writing crossing poetry, essays, and biography: the poetry selection presents her work as a poet, the prose collection Suishou leans toward records of everyday experience and personal reflections, and Xiao Hong: A Bird Flying Low reflects her attention to modern literary figures and biographical writing. Because public information is limited, details of her life, education, and writing career remain unclear, and this introduction makes no speculative additions. Overall, her writing brings several literary forms together, covering both personal experience and writing about literary figures, and may serve as a basic guide to her poetry and prose style.