Back to 80: My literary life

Chapter 251 Sharp counterattack

The conference room immediately became commotion again.

The college students here are all literature lovers.

In the United States, science fiction is not as ignored as in China, and it is very popular.

Besides, this novel just won an award?

It is said that just the day after the Nebula Awards, the book titled "Minghua Short and Medium Science Fiction Novels" quickly appeared in the best-seller counters of major bookstores in New York.

"Mr. Fang, I once read the collection of novels you wrote. My favorite is "Wall-E". The writing is so romantic!"

The one who stood up to speak was a girl, looking at Fang Minghua with an excited face.

"Thank you. This novel will meet everyone on the screen soon. You can appreciate this romantic love story from another angle." Fang Minghua said humorously.

"Huh? Will it be made into a movie?!" the girl screamed.

Fang Minghua nodded with a smile.

This is a novel writer's dream.

"Sorry, my colleague is giving a lecture today. If you want to discuss anything with me, please do so after class."

Fang Minghua had already sat down at this time. This was Zhang Xianliang's special performance, and he couldn't take over the show.

The conference room suddenly became quiet, and everyone looked at Fang Minghua, who was sitting in the back row.

Fang Minghua remembered that the girl named Emily asked the same question on the train to Chicago. However, the girl was just curious, but the young man in front of her had evil intentions.

"But the reality described in the first half of your award-winning novel "Country Teacher"! Is China really that backward?!"

"This classmate." Fang Minghua simply sat down, looked at him and said calmly: "I once read "The Police and the Hymn" written by your American writer O. Henry."

The white young man didn't seem to expect Fang Minghua's straightforward refusal. He was stunned and said loudly: "The "Uncle Tom's Cabin" you just mentioned happened more than a hundred years ago. Our country has long since abolished slavery. system!"

You have ulterior motives, and of course I won’t do what you want.

Not to mention the college students here, even several other writers have envious looks on their faces.

Lisa immediately said: "Mr. Fang's two works "Solar Catastrophe" and "Wall-E" have been purchased by the famous Hollywood director Mr. Spielberg and Industrial Light and Magic under Lucasfilm respectively. Yesterday, the film and television adaptation rights were purchased. After signing the contract late, I hope to see these two movies soon!"

Wow. It was adapted into a movie!

Unexpectedly, the white young man who had just been singing along with the black young man said to Fang Minghua: "Mr. Fang, I have read your article "Country Teacher". It is very touching. I want to discuss an issue with you."

"The impoverished and homeless homeless man Soapy described in the book deliberately committed crimes because he wanted to survive the cold winter in prison. He went to restaurants to eat dinner, disturbed public order, and molested women."

"However, none of this made him go to jail as he wished; in the end, when he was moved by hymns in the church and wanted to start reforming his evil ways again, the police sent him to jail. Is this your America?"

"Or is it like what is described in Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita" novel? The somewhat perverted adoptive father, the troubled girl Lolita, and the noisy, dirty and vulgar motel unique to America. ?" "This is your America too?!"

Fang Minghua's tone was full of sarcasm.

"Ah? This"

The blond young man was speechless. He did not expect that this oriental young man was so knowledgeable and his language was so sharp.

I had to sit down obediently.

"Two days ago, on the train to Chicago for the Nebula Awards ceremony, I met a female college student named Emily who asked the same question."

Fang Minghua's tone softened, he looked at everyone and said, "I answered him this way: "It is true that poverty, ignorance and backwardness still exist in our country, just like your country described in the novels of your country's authors.

"But we are working hard to change all this and improve the status and treatment of teachers. Like your country, our country has also established Teachers' Day from this year. In addition, in the future, we will establish a "Hope Project" to help out-of-school children in poor areas. In short , we are working hard, trying to make our country a better place, and so are you, aren't you?"

"Bah bang bang" applause burst out in the conference room.

"Now, please listen to Mr. Zhang's lecture. His lecture is even more exciting." Fang Minghua timely directed the audience's attention to today's topic.

Zhang Xianliang also said at the right time: "Just now, my colleague gave a wonderful speech. Now I will talk about the dialectical writing method of novels."

"I believe that writing about life without philosophical cultivation as a foundation, and writing about society without political economic theory as a foundation is as unreliable as wanting to be a surgeon without being proficient in anatomy."

"The great French writer Hugo once said: "Whoever is called a poet must also be a historian and a philosopher."

"Only through abstract logical thinking can the various image information transmitted to my mind from the world through my audio-visual organs become clearer and more vivid. And once this kind of image information is abstracted into a certain concept in my mind, in the concept Under the control of The ancient Chinese prose is easy to recite."

Obviously, Zhang Xianliang prepared carefully and finally won the applause of the whole house.

While waiting for lunch, Fang Minghua, Zhang Xianliang, Zhang Ling and Yi Shu from Xiangjiang were eating together, and everyone talked about what happened this morning.

"Hey, how could this happen? How could they imagine our country to be like that? Is our country so unbearable in their eyes?" Zhang Ling sighed and said.

"It's normal." Fang Minghua took a bite of bread and said calmly: "No one cares about a poor and backward country. Let me ask you, Zhang Ling, will you notice the changes in those countries in Africa?"

"No." Zhang Ling shook her head.

"Minghua is right." Zhang Xianliang interjected: "Although the people of those African countries are called black brothers in newspapers, who in the hearts of ordinary people will really pay attention and care? Everyone seems to be developed countries like the United States and Japan. "

"That's true..." Zhang Ling nodded.

"Of course, our country now also lacks external publicity and promotion of the national image. Not only is our economy underdeveloped, but our cultural soft power is also relatively backward." Fang Minghua added after thinking for a while.

"Cultural soft power?" Zhang Ling heard this term for the first time and felt very fresh.

(End of this chapter)