Jin Kemu: “Wind, Candle, Ash — The Melody of Thought,” Sanlian Bookstore, July 2002
Recommended by ZW. This was the last collection the old man personally compiled before his death, so naturally there is nothing to be said about its contents. ZW said I could learn from his style, but how on earth could I manage that?!? To write essays that come so effortlessly, so gracefully and fluently, one needs, beyond vast learning and a mind that remembers widely and knows both ancient and modern, China and the West, decades of hard practice as well. Besides, my own style is only suited to science or philosophy; I can’t do literature or art. In the eyes of the literary and art world, I consider myself an “illiterate,” and that is not entirely a joke—I do have a bit of self-knowledge after all. As for literary flair, I may still have some room to improve, but I’m afraid that room will not be very large; I myself lean more toward argument and reflection. My abilities are limited, after all. Jin Kemu as a model is set a little too high, I’m afraid…
February 6, 2006
Translated from the Chinese original with AI assistance. The original text is authoritative.
Leave a Reply