Liu Xinwu 1942–

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Liu Xinwu 1942–

PERSONAL: Born June 4, 1942, in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China; son of Liu Tianyan and Wang Yuntao; married Lu Xiaoge, 1970; children: one son. Education: Beijing Normal University, graduated 1961.

ADDRESSES: Office—8th Fl., No. 1404, Anding Menwai Dongheyan, Beijing 100011, China.

CAREER: Writer. High school teacher, 1961–76; Beijing Publishing House, Beijing, China, editor, 1976–80; People's Literature (journal), Beijing, chief editor, 1987–90.

MEMBER: Chinese Writers' Association (member of council).

AWARDS, HONORS: National short-story competition first prize, 1978, for "Banzhuren," and 1979; national prize for children's writing, 1979, 1988; Mao Dun literature prize, 1985, for Zhong gu lou.

WRITINGS:

(With others) Yazhou zhi di yu ren, Taibei shang wu yin shu guan (Taibei, China), 1975.

Zheng da ni di yan jing (fiction), Beijing ren min chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1976.

Mu xiao liu nian (stories), Zhongguo shao nian er tong chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1978.

Shang hen: duan pian xiao shuo he ju ben (stories), Sheng huo, du shu, xin zhi san lian shu dian (Xianggang, China), 1978.

Lian ai, hun yin, jia ting, Zhongguo quing nian chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1979.

Rang wo men lai tao lun ai quing, Shanghai ren min chu ban she (Shanghai, China), 1979.

Ban zhu ren, Zhongguo quing nian chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1979.

Zhe li you huang jin: zhong duan pian xiao shuo ji (stories), Guangdong ren min chu ban she (Canton, China), 1980.

Liu Xinwu duan pian xiao shuo xuan (stories), Beijing chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1980.

Lü ye yu huang jin: duan pian xiao shuo ji (stories), Guangdong ren min chu ban she (Canton, China), 1980.

Da yan mao (stories), Zhejiang ren min chu ban she (Hangzhou, China), 1981.

Ru yi (stories), Beijing shu ban she (Beijing, China), 1982.

(With others) Heihai di fan: fang Luo shi ge san wen ji, Chun feng wen yi chu ban she (Shanyang, China), 1983.

Tong wen xue qing nian dui hua, Wen hua yi shu chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1983.

As You Wish (screenplay), China Video Movies (Palo Alto, CA), 1983.

Dao yuan chu qu fa xin (stories; title means "Posting Letters from Distant Places"), Sichuan ren min chu ban she (Chengdu, China), 1984.

Ri cheng jin bo (fiction; title means "Tight Schedule"), Qun zhong chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1984.

(With others) Xin shi qi huo jiang xiao shuo chuang zuo jing yan tan (criticism), Hunan ren min chu ban she (Changsha, China), 1985.

Zhong gu lou (novel; title means "Bell and Drum Towers"), Ren min wen xue chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1985.

Jialing jiang liu jin xue guan (stories; title means "Jialing River Runs in the Veins"), Shanxi ren min chu ban she (Xi'an, China), 1985.

Ri cheng jin po (stories), Qun zhong chu ban she (Beijing, China) 1985.

Wo ke bu pa shi san sui (fiction), Xin shi ji chu ban she (Canton, China), 1985.

Bali yu jin xiang (travel), Qun zhong chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1986.

Mu bian shi jie zhi (stories; title means "A Fossilized Ring"), Qinghai ren min chu ban she (Xining, China), 1986.

Chui liu ji (essays), Shanxi ren min chu ban she (Xi'an, China), 1986.

Du hui yong tan diao (stories), Zuo jia chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1986.

Li ti jiao cha qiao (fiction; title means "Overpass"), Ren min wen xue chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1986.

Zhongguo da lu xian dai xiao shuo xuan (stories), two vols. Yuan shen chu ban she (Taibei Shi, China), 1987.

Xie po wen tan (criticism), Shanghai wen yi chu ban she (Shanghai, China), 1987.

5.19 chang jing tou: Liu Hsin-wu hsiao shuo hs'uan (fiction; title means "Zooming in on 19 May 1985"), Sichuan wen yi chu ban she (Chengdu, China), 1987.

Wang fu jing wan hua dong, Hunan wen yi chu ban she (Changsha, China), 1987.

Ta you yi tou pi jian fa (stories), Lin bai chu ban she you xian gong si (Taipei, China), 1988.

Si ren zhao xiang bu (photographs), Nan Yue chu ban she (Xianggang, China), 1988.

(With others) Liu Xinwu dai biao zuo (fiction), Huanghe wen yi chu ban she (Zhengzhou, China), 1988.

Xiao yuan xiao shuo (stories), Shanghai jiao yu chu ban she (Shanghai, China), 1988.

Yi pian lü ye dui ni shuo (essays; title means "Talking to You about a Green Leaf"), Hebei jiao yu chu ban she (Shijiazhuang, China), 1989.

Black Walls and Other Stories, edited by Don J. Cohn, introduction by Geremie Barme, Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong, China), 1990.

Yi chuang deng huo (fiction), Hua yi chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1991.

Feng guo er (fiction; title means "Overheard"), Zhongguo qing nian chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1992.

Xian gei ming yun di zi luo lan: Liu Xinwu tan sheng cun zhi hui, Shanghai ren min chu ban she (Shanghai, China), 1992.

Lan ye cha (fiction), Qin + yuan chu ban she (Xianggang, China), 1992.

You jia ke gui (fiction), Guangdong lü yu chu ban she (Guangzhou, China), 1992.

Wei ni zi ji gao xing, Nei Menggu ren min chu ban she (Huhehaote, China), 1992.

Dafenqi (biography), Jiangsu jiao yu chu ban she (Nanjing, China), 1992.

Sha xing, Qin + yuan chu ban she (Xianggang, China), 1993.

Si pai lou (fiction), Shanghei wen yi chu ban she (Shanghai, China), 1993.

Chen mo jiao liu, Zhongguo hua qiao chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1993.

Wo shi zen yang di yi ge ping zi, Chengdu chu ban she (Chengdu, China), 1993.

Liu Xinwu wen ji, eight volumes, Hua yi chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1993.

Zhongguo dang dai ming ren sui bi (essays), Shanxi ren min chu ban she (Xi'an, China), 1993.

Fu xin you shu, Qun zhong chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1993.

Yang wang cang tian: Liu Xinwu sui bi (essays), Zhi shi chu ban she (Shanghai, China), 1994.

Nan ban nü zhuang yu nü ban nan zhuang, Zhong yuan nong min chu ban she (Zhengzhou, China), 1994.

Qin Keqing zhi si, Hua yi chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1994.

(With others) Min jian zong jiao yu jie she (religion), Guo ji wen hua chu ban gong si (Beijing, China), 1994.

Xiao jiao yu bian zi, Guo ji wen hua chu ban gong si (Beijing, China), 1994.

Jin ji yu duo xing, Guo ji wen hua chu ban gong si (Beijing, China), 1994.

Wei da ren mo mo xu yuan (essays), You shi wen hua shi ye gong si (Taipei, China), 1994.

Yi xue yu zhan gua, Guo ji wen hua chu ban gong si (Beijing, China), 1994.

Jiao xue mei ti (teaching aids), Xin li chu ban she you xian gong si (Taipei, China), 1994.

Liu Xinwu juan (stories), Hai xia wen yi chu ban she (Fuzhou, China), 1994.

(With others) Huang hou yu pin fei, Guo ji wen hua chu ban gong si (Beijing, China), 1994.

Wèi ta rén mò mò xu yuàn, You shi wen hua (Taipei, China), 1994.

(With others) Xiang dui yi xiao, Zhong gong zhong yang dang xiao chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1994.

Ren sheng fei meng zong nan xing (diary excerpt), Shanghai ren min chu ban she (Shanghai, China), 1995.

Liu Xinwu hai wai you ji (travel), Hua wen chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1995.

Xian ren cheng lu pan (stories), Hua yi chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1995.

Nü xing yu cheng shi, Zhongguo cheng shi chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1995.

Liu Xinwu xiao shuo jing xuan (short stories), Tai bai wen yi chu ban she (Xi'an, China), 1996.

Kai fa xin da lu, Jilin ren min chu ban she (Changchun, China), 1996.

Liu Xinwu guai dan xiao shuo zi xuan ji, Lijiang chu ban she (Guilin, China), 1996.

Wo shi Liu Xinwu, Tuan jie chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1996.

Bian yuan you guang (criticism), Han yu da ci dian chu ban she (Shanghai, China), 1996.

Qi feng lou (fiction), Ren min wen xue chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1996.

Liu Xinwu za wen zi xuan ji (essays), Bai hua wen yi chu ban she (Tianjin, China), 1996.

Ni heng di shen mo ge (essays), Hunan wen yi chu ban she (Changsha, China), 1996.

(With others) San wei: du shu he pin shu di sui bi (criticism), Shan dong hua bao chu ban she (Jinan, China), 1996.

(With Zhang Yiwu) Liu Xinwu Zhang Yiwu dui hua lu: "hou shi ji" di wen hua liao wang (criticism), Lijiang chu ban she (Guilin, China), 1996.

Dian shi jiao yu jie mu di qi hua yu zhi bo, Li ming wen hua shi yan gu fen you xian gong si (Taipei, China), 1997.

Si ren zhao xiang bu (photographs), Shanghai yuan dong chu ban she (Shanghai, China), 1997.

Ba zui zhang yuan, Shanghai yuan dong chu ban she (Shanghai, China), 1997.

(With others) Duo nan di zu qiu: Zhongguo zu qiu yu qiu mi di xue lei zheng cheng (nonfiction), 1997.

Wo yan zhong di jian zhu yu huan jing, Zhongguo jian zhu gong ye chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1998.

Xian shang yi pian an ning, Qun zhong chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1998.

Awen di shi dai (fiction), Zhuhai chu ban she (Zhuhai, China), 1998.

Shu yu lin tong zai, Shandong hua bao chu ban she (Jinan, China), 1999.

Hong lou san chai zhi mi: Liu Xinwu Hong xue tan yi jing pin, Hua yi chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1999.

Guo sui dao di xin qing (essays), Hua dong shi fan da xue chu ban she (Shanghai, China), 1999.

Lan mei gui (fiction), Zhongguo hua qiao chu ban she (Beijing, China), 1999.

Ba shi liu ke xing xing (children's stories), Xi wang chu ban she (Taiyuan, China), 1999.

Yi qie dou hai lai de ji, Zhongguo qing nian chu ban she (Beijing, China), 2000.

Wo ai chi ku gua (essays), Guangzhou chu ban she (Guangzhou, China), 2000.

Lou qian bai yu lan: Liu Xinwu zui xin xiao xiao shuo ji (stories), Zhongguo guang bo dian shi chu ban she (Beijing, China), 2000.

Liu Xinwu kan Beijing, Shanghai wen yi chu ban she (Shanghai, China), 2000.

Liao jie Gao Xingjian, Kai yi chu ban she (Xiang-gang, China), 2000.

(With others) Ke wai yu wen: Xiao xue yi nian ji (primary-school textbook), Liaoning ren min chu ban she (Shenyang, China), 2000.

(With others) Ke wai yu wen: Xiao xue er nian ji (primary-school textbook), Liaoning ren min chu ban she (Shenyang, China), 2000.

(With others) Ke wai yu wen: Xiao xue san nian ji (primary-school textbook), Liaoning ren min chu ban she (Shenyang, China), 2000.

(With others) Ke wai yu wen: Chu zhong yi nian ji (primary-and middle-school textbook), Liaoning ren min chu ban she (Shenyang, China), 2000.

(With others) Ke wai yu wen: Chu zhong er nian ji (primary-and middle-school textbook), Liaoning ren min chu ban she (Shenyang, China), 2000.

(With others) Ke wai yu wen: Chu zhong san nian ji (primary-and middle-school textbook), Liaoning ren min chu ban she (Shenyang, China), 2000.

(With others) Ke wai yu wen: Gao zhong yi nian ji (senior high-school textbook), Liaoning ren min chu ban she (Shenyang, China), 2000.

(With others) Ke wai yu wen: Gao zhong er nian ji (senior high-school textbook), Liaoning ren min chu ban she (Shenyang, China), 2000.

(With others) Ke wai yu wen: Gao zhong san nian ji (senior high-school textbook), Liaoning ren min chu ban she (Shenyang, China), 2000.

(With others) Ke wai yu wen: Xiao xue si nian ji (primary-school textbook), Liaoning ren min chu ban she (Shenyang, China), 2000.

(With others) Ke wai yu wen: Xiao xue wu nian ji (primary-school textbook), Liaoning ren min chu ban she (Shenyang, China), 2000.

Cong you yu zhong sheng hua, Wen hui chu ban she (Shanghai, China), 2001.

Ren zai feng zhong, Zuo jia chu ban she (Beijing, China), 2001.

Qin jin cang mang (travel), Zhongguo lü you chu ban she (Beijing, China), 2001.

Zou bian ming cheng (travel), Xin shi jie chu ban she (Beijing, China), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS: With "Banzhuren" ("Class Teacher"), a short story published in 1977, Liu Xinwu launched a movement in Chinese fiction known as "wound" or "scar" literature. The stories in this genre focus on the wounds caused by China's Cultural Revolution (1966–1976). Drawing on Liu's own experiences as a middle-school teacher, "Banzhuren" tells of the travails of a teacher trying to reach out to a group of students scarred in one way or another by the Cultural Revolution. "The style is marred by jargon and a rather wooden style," wrote David Jiang and Li Ruru in Contemporary World Writers. "The story owed its considerable success less to literary merit than to the timing of its publication…. Liu Xinwu said what everyone wanted to say but had not quite dared."

Despite this rather courageous event, Liu has been considered a loyal Communist Party writer by various critics. Writing in Westerly, Kam Louie found that, "of the writers in China now who write about social issues, Liu Xinwu adheres more closely to the Party line than almost anyone else." Other literary critics have found more complexity in his relationship with the government. Liu "has taken some highly controversial stands, going so far as to support the 1989 democracy movement in Beijing," wrote Mary Banas in Booklist. Twice, he was removed from editing the prestigious People's Literature for overstepping the bounds.

In 1990, the Chinese University of Hong Kong put out an English-language edition of Liu's works titled Black Walls and Other Stories. "Liu's stories are more social vignettes than innovative and artistic pieces of literature and so perhaps the reader is to see them as a key to recent history," wrote Gregory Lee in China Quarterly. Lee added that, "even eight years later, the title story 'Black Walls' still seems impressive and well-crafted, as does 'The Wish.'" According to Frances LeFleur in World Literature Today, the stories "illustrate his evolution from a rather naïve originator of post-Cultural Revolution 'wound literature' to a middle-aged observer of a world wherein the lines between black and white modernization and 'bourgeois pollution' are much less clearly drawn."