Greetings from Ginger!

[Ginger]

Hello!

I hope this message finds you all well. My name is Ginger and I'm an
undergraduate student majoring in both conservation biology and
English literature here at ASU. I'm looking forward to learning more
of Chinese culture, history, and literature through our exchanges
here. It's hard to know where to begin, but perhaps it would be
easiest to start with a couple of questions. Becky and everyone else,
are there any American authors, poets, or playwrights you find
particularly interesting? Some of my favorites are Kurt Vonnegut,
Toni Morrison, Tom Robbins, Herman Melville, Emily Dickinson, and
Amiri Baraka. Have you read anything by any of those individuals?
Who are some of your favorite Chinese writers? I'll leave off here
for now. Let's see what happens next! :-)

Cheers,
Ginger

[Neal Lester]

Professor Lester here!

Toni Morrison, though satisfying to literature types, is a huge
challenge even for American students. There are so many levels of deep
interpretation in her work. I was most impressed with the number of
students who are majoring in American literature there at Sichuan
University, especially the number of students interested in African
American literature. I appreciate the fact that Toni Morrison and others
are writing children's books now.

Thanks for getting the ball rolling, Becky and Ginger. This can be fun
and enlightening. Nice photograph, Becky. What's the location? Is that
some place in Chengdu?

[Becky]

Thanks for your questions Ginger. I think many of us have a vast
reading about American literature, from Ralph Emerson to Alice Walker.
Some of my favorite American writers are Toni Morrison, William
Faulkner, W.E.B. Du Bois, Saul Bellow, Thomas Pynchon. I think Thomas
Pynchon's works are somewhat analogous to That of Kurt Vonnegut, post-
modern and black humor, which I've found are very interesting. When
talking about Chinese writers, it is necessary to choose a specific
period of time. Because China has a relatively long history, from
ancient Chinese literature in Tang and Song dynasty to modern Chinese
literature after 1911 revolution. Ancient Chinese literature is famous
for its poems, some of which are well-translated by Ezra Pound. In
Tang dynasty, Li Bai is one of the most talented poets who is famous
for romantic poems mostly written when he was drunk. My favorite
Chinese writers are mostly modern Chinese writers , among whom are
Xiao Hong, Qian Zhongshu, and Zhang Ailing. There are also many very
good Chinese-American writers such as Amy Tan and Maxine Hong
Kingston. I am sure you can find most of their works in America.
Thanks, Professor Lester, the location of the park is near Chengdu. I
think you have visited there. It is San Xingdui museum where the
ancient Shu dynasty was located, and it is famous for the excavated
bronze masks and utensils. The second photo is one of the hottest
tourist spots in China, Li Jiang of Yunnan Province. That is a very
romantic and cool place where many artists go and live seeking for
inspirations. I like Li Jiang very much.
Well Ginger and everyone else, which Chinese writers have you already
read? And how do you feel about them? Who is your favorite American
writer? Introduce one of his or her works to us that you think is very
impressive. Hehe, thanks!

[sherry]

Hello!
This is Sherry from SCU. Thank you for inviting me to join this group.
It's a great place to meet friends and exchange ideas.
I want to add something about Chinese poems. In Tang dynasty, Du Fu is
another great poet besides Li Bai. His poems concern the fate of the
country and the life of common people. He is called Poet Saint. In
Song dynasty, which is famous for the lyrics, my favorite Su Shi, Li
Qingzhao and Liu Yong wrote in different style. For modern writers,
besides Qian Zhongshu, who is a well-known scholar specialized both in
Chinese and western culture, Zhang Ailing, who mainly writes about
Shanghai, Lu Xun is a popular satirist. Yu Qiuyu is my favorite
contemporary essayist. I agree that Amy Tan and Maxine Hong Kingston
are great; however, I'm afraid there is some misinterpretation of
Chinese culture since they'd never lived in China.
Sorry to say I didn't know many American writers. I think Beloved by
Toni Morrison is great. Among her works, which do you think is the
best? Kate Chopin's short stories impress me a lot. I like the
romantic style and the sentiments. Becky and anyone else, could you
introduce more about W.E.B. ,Du Bois, Thomas Pynchon whom I am not
familiar with? Thank you.

[Brent]

Dear Becky,

It seems that you have a good grasp of American literature. Is this
broad range of literary education normal in China? Growing up in
America, I cannot name a single Chinese author or major work taught in
a literature class. You, however, seem to have an academic advantage
having studied works from two distinct cultures. It is typical, in
America, to study American and English literature before college.
What other countries or regions have major literary works which you
study?

Your ability to quickly prattle off many American authors, coupled
with my inability to name a single Chinese author sparks insecurities
about my own education and curiosity over yours.

Thanks,

Brent

[Neal Lester]

I was curious that in China and Russia, as is still the case in America
when students are doing literature, women authors are suspiciously
absent--or minimally represented far too often in "mainstream" courses.

-----Original Message-----
From: asu-english-sic...@googlegroups.com
[mailto:asu-english-sic...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of
Brent
Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2007 11:04 AM
To: ASU English - Sichuan University