1980 My literary era

The New York Times is a daily newspaper that has been published for more than 140 years. It has long become a representative of serious publications in the United States. Its sales volume ranks among the top ten newspapers in the United States all year round. It has a huge influence, especially among intellectuals, politicians, and literary and artistic circles. Popular among people.

The content of the interview was communicated in advance, and the process went smoothly. It was published in the New York Times on November 6 a day later.

The next day is the launch of "The Collected Works of Richard Yates". FSG Publishing House is very popular, with many famous American literary magazines, such as "American Literature", "Paris Review of Books", "Paris Review", "Washington Post" and so on. Editors and reporters from review magazines and newspapers attended the press conference.

In addition to these guests, several of Richard Yates's lifelong friends, including Kurt Vonnegut, Raymond Carver and others, also attended the press conference.

Kurt Vonnegut was a little excited when he saw Lin Weimin. He was not only Richard Yates's lifelong friend, but also a staunch defender of Richard Yates's literary achievements.

"Lin, I read your interview in the New York Times. Thank you, thank you for everything you have done for Richard!"

Kurt Vonnegut, who was over seventy years old, held Lin Weimin's hand tightly and said.

"Mr. Vonnegut, we have a saying in China that one should be loyal to one's trust. Richard is an excellent writer, and I think his talent and works should not be buried."

"It's like this, it's like this, you did something that I always wanted to do but couldn't do it."

A book press conference is different from a movie press conference, which is so colorful. People from the cultural and literary circles are present. And because the author has passed away, the atmosphere of today's press conference is particularly solemn.

As a representative of the publishing house, Roger Strauss introduced the literary achievements of Richard Yates and the reasons why FSG Publishing House published "The Collected Works of Richard Yates". Lin Weimin and Li Li were inevitably mentioned. Chad Yates association.

This is of course a deliberately set topic. Since this year, the friendship between Lin Weimin and Richard Yates has gradually spread in the American literary world through FSG's publicity channels.

Lin Weimin's speech came after Roger Strauss. Through Roger Strauss's words, everyone present knew that Lin Weimin was the driving force behind the publication of "The Collected Works of Richard Yates".

The New York Times interview was just published yesterday, and many people present had seen it, so they were even more interested in the sympathy between the two. They were looking forward to Lin Weimin's speech.

"Today is the launch of "The Collected Works of Richard Yates". I think Mr. Yates would be very happy if he was still alive.

The first time I heard Richard Yates's name was when I first came to New York that year. There are many second-hand bookstores here. For a person who likes to collect books, there is no better place than here.

In the West Side Bookstore, I found a book called "The Road to Revolution."

After reading it, I liked this book very much. Because this book is different from many American literary works I have seen. The American society it depicts is something I have not seen in other works. This is a unique realistic work in the American literary world.

It is for this reason that I became interested in the name Richard Yates.

In my opinion, a writer who can write such an excellent work as "Revolutionary Road" should be very famous.

I chatted with several bookstore owners and readers, and the feedback they gave me was that Richard Yates is not a famous writer, and his works are not best-selling. I can’t even find a few of his books in second-hand bookstores. Book.

This situation made me a little confused. Later, I read several Richard Yates novels one after another. I recognized Richard Yates's talent more and more firmly. His talent is no less than that of Washington Irving, Great writers such as Eugene O'Neill and Pearl Buck.

Two years later, I came to the United States and New York again, and I found a few Richard Yates books in a second-hand bookstore.

As a writer, no one understands better than me the bitterness of having your work appear in second-hand bookstores, so I thought I should do something.

I contacted Richard through Roger, hoping to introduce his works to China.

You may not know that in addition to being a writer, I am also an editor. At that time, I was in charge of the most well-known literary publication in China.

The introduction of Richard Yates's works is going very smoothly. In a few years, his works have sold hundreds of thousands of copies in China. I know this is certainly not a high number, but at least it is better than in the United States..."

Lin Weimin paused, and everyone in the audience laughed in good faith. Everyone knew what was going on with the sales of Richard Yates's books in the United States.

"Mr. Yates and I have not met each other for several years and have only kept in touch with each other. It was not until the middle of last year that I received a letter from Mr. Yates in which he described his illness to me and expressed his concern. I made a request to publish a collection of essays for him in China, and I agreed to his request.

In June this year, the Chinese version of "The Collected Works of Richard Yates" was published in China. "

At this point, the audience burst into applause, and everyone present was moved by the outpouring of support from Lin Weimin and Richard Yates.

After the applause stopped, Lin Weimin continued: "While planning the Chinese version of "The Collected Works of Richard Yates", I had another thought in my mind, and I always felt a little regretful.

Mr. Yates is an American, and all of his works are about American society. If his collection of essays cannot be published in the United States, it will be a loss to the American literary community and readers.

So, I contacted Roger..."

Lin Weimin and Roger Strauss looked at each other in tacit understanding.

"Roger is a publisher with ideals and sentiments. He thinks the same as me that Mr. Richard Yates is an outstanding writer who has been buried. We hit it off immediately and decided to publish "Richard" by FSG Publishing House. "The Collected Works of Yates".

At this point, Lin Weimin took a deep breath and spoke in a sonorous tone.

"Richard Yates is one of the greatest writers in the history of American literature in the 20th century. His works and literary achievements have long been ignored by American society.

Today marks the first anniversary of the death of Mr. Richard Yates, whose collected works will be published soon.

I think it's time we give Mr. Richard Yates justice.

An excellent writer like him should not be buried, let alone die in loneliness and obscurity. "

After Lin Weimin impassionedly said these words, he immediately attracted enthusiastic applause from everyone at the scene. They were all infected by Lin Weimin's full emotion and impassioned speech.

Most of the people who can come here today recognize the level and literary achievements of Richard Yates. They heard Lin Weimin, a foreign writer, speak so highly of Richard Yates.

Thinking of the long-term treatment that Richard Yates has received in the American literary world, a feeling of common hatred and hatred arose in the hearts of these people.

The applause was long-lasting and warm, and everyone devoted all their guilt and appreciation for Richard Yates to Lin Weimin, an enthusiastic international friend.

Kurt Vonnegut, Raymond Carver and others looked at Lin Weimin on the stage with tears in their eyes.

At this moment, they saw the rebirth of Richard Yates in Lin Weimin.

That is a lonely soul who focuses on writing reality through literature.

After a long time, the applause finally stopped.

Lin Weimin walked off the stage in the eyes of everyone's admiration and admiration. He was just one of today's guests. There were several guests behind him, all of whom came to promote "The Collected Works of Richard Yates", and they were all Richard · Yates's best friend during his lifetime.

Everyone was influenced by Lin Weimin and became emotional when he spoke. Some people cried on the spot and were so choked that they could not speak, which once again sublimated the atmosphere.

Many editors and reporters were infected by this atmosphere, and their hearts were filled with regret for Richard Yates and admiration for Lin Weimin.

A Chinese writer and an American writer, whom we met in literature and have never met, yet we depend on each other for life and death.

What literary youth can withstand the torture of such a scene!

There may be a delay in publishing articles in major newspapers and magazines, but all the literary people who attended the press conference can't wait to spread what happened at the press conference to the American literary community.

In a very short period of time, various information about Richard Yates, "The Collected Works of Richard Yates", about Lin Weimin, and about FSG Publishing House were widely circulated in the American literary world.

At the same time, Lin Weimin's exclusive interview in the New York Times, including the fragments in which he mentioned Richard Yates in interviews in the United States a few years ago, have also been paid attention to and talked about by many people in the American literary circle.

Many American media also noticed the spread of this "great friendship" and followed suit in reporting.

For a time, the names of Lin Weimin and Richard Yates were closely linked like the twin constellations of Gemini, and they frequently appeared in the public eye in the United States.

Since 1983, works such as "Farewell My Concubine" have been published in the United States, and plays have been adapted into movies based on Broadway novels. Lin Weimin has already cultivated a large reader base in the United States.

But his reader base and mass base are still based on his works, not on his identity.

This time, Lin Weimin cooperated with FSG Publishing House and spared no effort to promote "The Collected Works of Richard Yates", which not only brought Richard Yates, a writer who has long been ignored by American society, back into the public eye, but also allowed Lin Weimin himself to gain something. The favor and recognition of countless American people.

Through media propaganda, in the eyes of these people, Lin Weimin's image can be described as talented and noble, and he can be called an old friend of the American people.

It’s only the second update today. My wife and kids are positive again, but I’m fine...