Back to 80: My Literary Life

I just arrived in Iowa today. There are still two days before the official start of the IWP project. This is an opportunity.

Regarding participating in the award ceremony, Fang Minghua reported it to the leaders of the Writers Association during training at Yanjing, and the leaders of the Writers Association reported to the relevant departments and finally received approval.

You must know that in this era, people sent abroad by public servants must strictly follow the predetermined plan and prescribed itinerary, and running around without permission is absolutely not allowed - first, the passports are collectively kept, and you can't run around if you want.

What's more important is that once it is discovered that it is a minor case, disciplinary action will be taken, and the serious case will be dismissed from public office!

Who knows whether you are going to see the scenery or preparing to betray the country and surrender to the enemy?

It was approved by many relevant departments, and the Writers Association communicated with Iowa, so Fang Minghua got his passport smoothly.

"Dear Minghua, do you want me to accompany you to Chicago?" Lisa asked enthusiastically after learning about this.

Fang Minghua naturally knew that the girl didn't have any other thoughts, she was just passionate, including calling him "honey."

"You're welcome, Miss Lisa, I have friends at the University of Chicago. They will pick me up." Fang Minghua replied with a smile: "But I would like to ask you to take me to see Professor Nie Hualing tomorrow morning."

How can I come to Iowa without meeting the project organizer?

"OK, no problem." Lisa agreed: "I will contact Professor Nie now."

When they got up the next morning, Zhang Xianliang and Zhang Ling still went to the fast food restaurant to eat hamburgers, while Fang Minghua followed Lisa to see Nie Hualing.

When he went to a Chinese restaurant by the river downstream, he met Professor Nie Hualing, sitting at a table facing the river. There was a small waterfall outside the window, which looked very poetic.

The table was also filled with ingredients that Fang Minghua was very familiar with—three steamed buns, three bowls of white rice porridge, and three plates of side dishes!

"Mr. Minghua, please take a seat." Nie Hualing stood up and greeted with a smile.

"You're welcome, please." Fang Minghua said quickly.

Fang Minghua has already learned about Nie Hualing. He is from Hubei and his ancestral home is Guangshui, Suizhou. He was born in Wuhan in 1925 and graduated from Nanjing Central University.

In 1949, he went to Taiwan with his family. He was once an editorial member and literary editor of "Free China".

He performed editorial work with Hu Shi, Mao Zishui, and others. He lived in the United States in 1964, taught at the University of Iowa, and was engaged in writing and painting. He was a very respectable old man because he founded the International Writers Writing Project.

The old man’s younger brother is also awesome, the famous physicist Nie Huatong, the first director of the Center for Advanced Research of Tsinghua University founded by Mr. Yang Zhenning

The three of them sat down and chatted while eating.

"Mr. Minghua, I have heard that the article "Country Teacher" you wrote was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Short Story. Although our research and communication are pure literature, we do not reject popular literature such as science fiction. We can Being nominated for a Nebula Award is pretty cool too.”

"Thanks,"

"I heard that in the past two years, you in the mainland restricted the writing and publishing of some literary themes, including science fiction novels. What is the situation now?" Nie Hualing asked with concern.

"Now that everything is relaxed, you see, my novel can be published in the United States." Fang Minghua said with a smile.

"That's right. Didn't we already propose that a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend?"

As the two chatted, they turned to avant-garde literature, and Nie Hualing added: "When you were recommended by the Mainland Writers Association to come here to study and exchange, Chairman Palladium specifically mentioned that you had taken a class at Northwest University in Xijing. Avant-garde literature is very well explained.”

"I'm just proposing some ideas, just my own superficial opinions." Fang Minghua was very modest: "After all, avant-garde literature, this writing technique originated in Europe and the United States."

"That's true, but avant-garde novels will become different in a certain country and region. After all, there is another name - experimental novels."

The two chatted very enthusiastically, and the breakfast lasted for more than an hour.

Lisa sat on the edge and listened carefully, looking at this and that without saying anything.

After finishing breakfast, Fang Minghua politely said goodbye and returned to the hotel.

"Dear Minghua, I rarely see Professor Nie having such an in-depth conversation with a person. She is always very busy. On the one hand, she has to teach university students and on the other hand, she also organizes training." Lisa followed and said. arrive.

"Really? I thought Professor Nie and others were like this too. Maybe it's because I'm Chinese?" Fang Minghua answered with a smile, paused and then said:

"Miss Lisa, can you do me a favor?"

"I'm willing to serve you."

"Can you find a car to take me to the train station? The conversation with Professor Nie took a bit long. I'm afraid I won't be able to catch the train."

"OK, no problem!"

Within a few minutes, the girl drove Fang Minghua to the train station in a yellow Beetle at lightning speed.

After buying a ticket, entering the station, and finally when the train blew its whistle, Fang Minghua rushed onto the train carrying his travel bag.

It was only over 200 kilometers from Iowa City to Chicago. Fang Minghua decided to take the train alone, enjoying the scenery of central America and Lake Michigan along the way.

When Fang Minghua got on the train, he suddenly felt regretful.

After all, it is the most developed American train in the world. How come it is not as good as the domestic green train?

The old-fashioned train has a relic of the 19th century. It actually burns coal and spits out steam!

And the chairs are uncomfortable, even more uncomfortable than taking the domestic green train.

However, there were not many people on the train. The United States was originally a kingdom of automobiles. Or when taking a plane, there were fewer people on the train, which made him feel more comfortable.

Domestic train rides are too crowded.

Also, the scenery outside is nice.

It is summer now, and there is a pleasant smell of burning in the wilderness. The sun bakes all mature things even more mature. The yellow maple leaves are mixed with the ocher oak leaves, burning all the way to the horizon.

It felt very comfortable. Fang Minghua was so relaxed and happy that he couldn't help but hum an American country ballad.

When I was young

(when I was young)

I'd listen to the radio

(I like listening to the radio)

Waiting for my favorite songs

Waiting for my most beloved song

When they played I'd sing along

I sing along when they play

"Yesterday Once More" (Yesterday Once More), sung by the American band Carpenter, has been covered by singers from many countries in many languages.

Hong Kong singer Priscilla Chan and mainland singer Yao Siting have both covered this English song.

This song was popular throughout the mainland in the 1990s, so Fang Minghua can also sing it.

The train stopped for a while in Davenport, Michigan. Three young men, two women and one man, got on the carriage and sat across from Fang Minghua, chatting happily.

Listening to their chat, it turned out that they were students at Ambrose Private University in Davenport, and they also rushed to Chicago to attend the Nebula Awards ceremony.

"Jack, guess which novel will win the prize tonight?" A girl with waterfall-like golden hair and flaming red lips asked the tall young man next to her.

This young man named Jack has short blond hair. He listened to his companion's question, pondered for a moment and then said: "Emily, I think the novel should be "Neuromancer". The "cyberspace" created in the book It’s just so charming.”

"For short and medium stories, Octavia Butler's "Blood Child" is very good, and of course the other "The Killer from Mars" is also very good. It's hard to tell them apart."

"Jack, don't you think the article "Country Teacher" written by the Chinese is very amazing?" The girl put forward her own different opinion.

When he heard the other party talking about the book he wrote, Fang Minghua turned his face slightly and glanced at the other party.