The Cry of Geese Along the Charles River: Essays on Malaysian Chinese Literature II

"The Geese Crying on the Charles River" is the sequel to Zhang Jinzhong's "Essays on Malaysian Chinese Literature". It contains more than 80 miscellaneous essays, which are divided into ten volumes in the format of classification.

The first three volumes focus on poetry, prose, and novels respectively; the fourth volume, "Literary Memory", recalls the days of "Student Weekly" and "Jiaofeng Monthly"; the fifth volume presents the author's recent views on the "Chinese language system"; and the sixth volume discusses the necessity of literary historical materials.

The seventh volume is a collection of essays, revisiting old topics such as the lack of critical criticism of Malaysian Chinese literature. The eighth volume explores the books that influenced the author, along with literary cities and prizes. The ninth volume transcends the boundaries of Chinese language, incorporating Malay and English into its scope, reflecting on Malaysian Chinese literature. The final volume includes the author's response essays and articles published in Contemporary Review.

In 2015, Zhang Jinzhong published "Time is So Far Away: Essays on Malaysian Chinese Literature," a collection of seventy miscellaneous essays, prefaces, and book reviews. In the years since, Zhang Jinzhong has continued to write about Malaysian Chinese literature, accumulating more than a dozen books. His constant concern for this subject has undoubtedly resonated.

Zhang Jinzhong

Born in Kuantan, Pahang in 1956, he moved to Taiwan in 1981. He holds a PhD in Foreign Literature from National Taiwan University and currently teaches in the Department of Foreign Languages ​​at National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung.

He has written short story collections "The Fantasy of White Bird" and "Gecko", poetry collections "Poems in Front of My Eyes" and "Like a River, He is His Own Silence", essays "Time is So Far Away: Essays on Malaysian Chinese Literature", a collection of essays "Nanyang Discourse: Malaysian Chinese Literature and Cultural Attributes", translations "English Translations of Tan Ruixian's Poems", etc. He has also edited several anthologies of Malaysian Chinese literature and collections of essays.

Preface, Distant Echoes ◎ Shi Huimin 7

1. Xiwan Poetry Talk <br />Poems from afar, trees on the road——A review of "Moving Trees: Selected Poems of Huang Yuanxiong" 12
Shen Bihao's poem, The Call of the Sea 14
In Sarawak, the subtle fragrance of lotus lingers
Fish bones, dentures, "Denture Poems" 18
Birds dart, the sky moves—Reading Pan Zhenglai’s poetry collection “Heavenly Carpet” in early summer 22
At the End of the Lights——Postscript to "Like a River, He is His Own Silence" 28
Pebbles (Olive Trees) and Blackbirds: Piao Beiling and His Poems — Remembering the Friends of the Renjian Poetry Society 33
The Tower and Poetry: On Xie Hao’s Poetry Collection “Part-time Poet” 44

2. Roadside Prose <br />Prose by Mei Shuzhen - Preface, postscript, trivial remarks, random talks, and miscellaneous thoughts from "Human World Collection" 48
Reading Fang Guixiang on a Rainy Day 57
Continue to sail to Taiwan on the slow boat 61
Part 2 of the Taiwan Study Abroad Program: Stories from My Hometown — Remembering Senior Zheng Liangshu, a pioneer who stayed in Taiwan and returned to Malaysia
After Accidentally Walking Away: Preface to Lu Peiyi's Prose Collection "The Secret Chamber of Time" 73
In the Shadow of the Rubber Trees: Preface to "Deep in the Rubber Forest: Rubber Trees in Malaysian Chinese Literature" 76
The turtle doves still purr: The scenery of the transition station between the ice valley and the writing of old age 80
A Mountain Walking Towards You: Preface to Wu Hailiang's "A Life of Great Awakening" 84

3. Phantom of the Novel <br />Novel—— Preface to "The Phantom of the White Bird" 92
Forgotten, Realist, Fang Tian 93
A Southern Town Full of Phantoms——Huang Jinshu's Derivative Novel 97
Searching and searching, the endless lead type is sad and miserable.
Guan Yafeng's Rose for Emily, The Noise and Fury of Zhuba Village 106
From Zhu Yushu to Li Queshu: The Unfinished Martial Arts Dream and the Lost Martial Arts World
—— Comments on Li Yongping's "New Female Knight" 111
Sarawak Chinese Novels in Taiwan: The Case of Li Yongping and Zhang Guixing116
1969, Don’t Mention It Again — Selected Novels 123
This batch of unicorns and that batch of zebras - written after the compilation of contemporary Malaysian Chinese novels 133

IV. Literary Memory <br />Memory of the Wind, "Jiaofeng" No. 206, 140
Recalling Zhou Huan, recalling the Student Weekly
No. 10, Jalan 217, Petaling Jaya, Encore 145
No. 10, 217th Road, Detailed Talk from the Beginning, Brother Liu and I 151
A generation has indeed passed away as quietly as a spring night.
The time I spent with Mei Shuzhen writing "Banana Wind" has long since passed, and I also talk about her writing.
A Bountiful Sea: A Record of Forty Years of Friendship with Youcheng 164
An Old Friend Farewells the Tamsui River: A Record of Li Yongping 172
That summer, the hornbill flew by - Sarawak authors when I was editing the "Journal of the University" 177
Still wanting more - Kuching travelogue 182

5. Chinese Twilight Zone
In the twilight or morning glow of the Chinese language family - China, so far away in time 188
From Nanyang Writing to Chinese Language 194
Returning to Chinese Literature: Revisiting the Chinese Language Theory in the Age of Farewell 199
Cross-domain Night Journey: When the Chinese language family meets the Malay language family
—— Postscript to "Night Walk: Selected Translations of Taiwanese and Malaysian Novels" 203
Encyclopedia 1: “Emerging Chinese Literature” 206
Entry 2: “Malaysian Chinese Literature in Taiwan” 208

6. Necessity of Literary Historical Materials <br /> Lowercase Fangtian 212
Rewrite Fang Tian 214
The Dilemma of Lack of Literary Historical Materials: Taking Fang Tian as an Example216
Who is Archiving the Memory of Malaysian Chinese Literature? — Taking Fang Tian as an Example218
Who is Rao Chuyu? — Necessary Literary Historical Materials 220
James Soong, Yu Tien and Rubber Plantation 222
The Necessity of Historical Materials and Literary Memory

7. Common Nouns and Miscellaneous Thoughts
Preface to the Special Topic “The Lack of Malaysian Chinese Literary Criticism” 228
Hama Xing Letters: Malaysian Chinese Literature Criticism and its Poverty 230
Reflections on a Friend's Proofreading at the End of the Jiawu Year (Part 1)
Reflections on a Friend's Proofreading at the End of the Jiawu Year (Part 2)
Teenager - One of "Our Ten Common Nouns" 238
Educational Background - "Our Ten Common Nouns" Part 240
Local - "Our Ten Common Nouns" Part 3 242
Dispersion - "Our Ten Common Nouns" Part 4 244
Department of Chinese/Department of Foreign Languages ​​- "Our Ten Common Nouns" Part 5 246
A Few Words — Postscript to "Malaysian Chinese Literary Criticism Series: Zhang Jinzhong" 248

8. Books, Cities, and Others <br />Reading Experience, Context of Thought
—— Preface to Xu Defa’s “A Journey of Learning: Autobiography of Twenty-two Young Scholars” 252
Bringing me closer to the brilliant stars in the night sky - Books that influenced me and my recommended reading list 258
Why should I study Malaysian Chinese literature?
A Visible (Literary) City 266
Malaysian Chinese Literature: Not Made in Malaysia 268
The "Taiwan Team" at the Guangzhou Malaysian Chinese Literature Conference 270
273 Flowers in Spring City
Demonstrating the Power of Literary Awards 275
The 14th Huazong Malaysian Chinese Literature Award Summary 278
In the afterglow of the setting sun in Sai Wan: In memory of Mr. Yu Guangzhong
Oh! Chen Yingzhen 284
Product of Delay 288

IX. In the Multilingual Evening Mist <br />The Malay Literary Environment of Those Years - Literary Magazines, National Language, Malay Literature and Me 292
Returning to Chinese-Malay Literature: Preface to Returning to Malaya: Seventy Years of Chinese-Malay Fiction
Resistance, Diaspora, and the Transnationality of Travel: Ma Ying-jeou Literature and Chinese-Ma Ying-jeou Fiction 301
A Short History of Chinese, Malaysian and English Novels 308
Chen Tuanying has a "Garden of Evening Mists" 311
Diaspora and the Other 315
Blooming Hibiscus: A Talk on Malaysian Literature 317

10. Comments on the Contemporary Era <br />A Humble Dream of a Cultural Person——Occasional Thoughts on an Ideal Cultural Society330
A divergent narrative that begins with disagreement and ends with farewell, or (cannot) say goodbye
—— Preface to Huang Jinshu's Collection of Essays on Malaysian Chinese Literature 335
How can we allow history to become ashes? — On the suspension of Nanyang Literature and Art 346
A New Voice in a Different Generation: Two Malaysian Chinese Literature Symposiums 350
The Cry of Geese on the Charles River: May Fourth and May 13th: A Movement, an Event
Malaysian Chinese Literature and the “Literary Logistics Chain” — A Discussion on the Production and Sales of a Poetry Collection
Literature as Action: The 2019 George Town Literary Festival and Malaysian Chinese Literature 362
The Loneliness of a Long-Distance Runner: Literary Environment and Malaysian Chinese Literature 367

Postscript, Boiling Notes, or Monologue 372
Postscript to Postscript 377