The Art of Writing: Lu Chi's Wen Fu

Softcover

ISBN 10: 091594362X ISBN 13: 9780915943623

Publisher: Milkweed Editions, 1991

Chinese literature; History and criticism; Language Arts & Disciplines; Linguistics; Non-Fiction; Rhetoric; Theory, etc

Review:

It's hard to believe that a book written around 200 A.D. can so poignantly cut to the quick of writing's agony and ecstasy. Everything that concerns the writer is beautifully addressed, from writer's block ("Sometimes the door remains bolted") to language's limitations ("all their real jewels cannot fill the cup I make of my fingers"), upwards to the writer's re-vision of themes ("a common song sung to a great melody is another way to find beauty") and the joy of creating ("in a single yard of silk, there is infinite space"). This book offers a fresh perspective out of an ancient text.

Language Notes:

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Chinese