Tang Juan, Starting from His Submerged Hometown, Writes "The Massive Silence" and Encourages Reading "Upstream Books"

Central News Agency (Reporter Chiu Tsu-yin, Taipei, 25th) Poet Tang Juan today held a forum with Yang Jiaxian at the "Tai Jingnong Cultural Center" in Taipei, titled "I Will Speak, and Feel Empty at the Same Time - About 'The Massive Silence'." Tang Juan encouraged creators to read more "Upstream Books" to build a solid foundation for prose writing. Tang Juan (real name Liu Zhengzhong) is currently the head of the Chinese Department at National Taiwan University. He published his essay collection "The Massive Silence" in 1999, which has recently been reissued. It departs from his submerged hometown under the Zengwen Reservoir, describing childhood memories, rural oddities, and bodily sensations. Tang Juan stated, "This book is like my experience as a new recruit in the military; I was fully immersed at the time, stirring in a completely dark world. I said then, 'Write, or grow old.' If I didn't write, I might still have memories, but I would lack that sense of immediacy. I'm glad I wrote it." Tang Juan mentioned his hometown, Dapu Township in Chiayi, a place called "Red Flower Garden." His maternal family lived there for generations, and his paternal family moved there from Zhushan, Nantou. Soon after his birth, this place was submerged under the Zengwen Reservoir project. Later, his family moved to a nearby village, and his life became closely linked with the countryside. During his childhood, Tang Juan observed hunters slaughtering muntjacs and wild boars, witnessed the seemingly illusory words and deeds of shamans, and extensively read folk religious publications, all of which became material for his later writing. Tang Juan stated that unlike traditional lyrical writing, which often prolongs beautiful or melancholic moments, when writing "The Massive Silence," he was more inclined to prolong those lingering dark experiences. Through repeated depiction and return to the scene, it formed a healing-like writing method. He believes that by deliberately extending this process of discomfort and pressure, it can ultimately bring deeper release and understanding. Tang Juan also emphasized at the forum that aspiring prose writers should value "Upstream Books," which are classic works that influenced later creations and the sources of thought, rather than merely staying with contemporary popular texts. He stated that creation is like plant growth, the key is the "roots" rather than the "leaves." If one only imitates the forms of contemporary works, it is like decorating the surface of leaves, making it difficult to cultivate a deep foundation. Only by tracing back to the source and taking root in classics can one develop long-lasting and stable creative abilities. Yang Jiaxian stated that she first read Tang Juan's essay collection during her university years, and works like "Fish Language Searching for Wonders" had a strong impact on her. Later, she further read Tang Juan's poetry and essays, discovering a high degree of correlation between the two. Yang Jiaxian particularly focused on how Tang Juan dealt with the "local" experience, which intertwined emotional attachment and resistance, full of love and hate, forming a unique creative path. She also praised the book's writing on death imagery, dark consciousness, obsession with gods, demons, and humans, and even bodily consciousness. (Edited by Chen Jen-hua) 1150425. Choose to stand with facts; every sponsorship you provide is a force for protecting press freedom. Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to stay updated. The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.