Wilt Idema's guest appearances

Wilt Idema

New Books in East Asian Studies

New Books in Literary Studies

New Books Network

Harvard Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies

Off the Page: A Columbia University Press Podcast

Ellen Widmer

Dean Anthony

Laura Moretti

Luke Patey

Hua Li

Sören Urbansky

Susan Chan Egan

Peilin Liang

Leilei Chen

Erin L. Brightwell

Daniel Y. Kim

Eike Exner

David S. Roh

Linda C. Ehrlich

William C. Hedberg

OwlTail

Speaker: Wilt L. Idema, Professor of Chinese Literature Emeritus, Harvard UniversityWhen the Precious Scroll of the Red Gauze was first introduced to the academic world, it was presented as the earliest work in the genre, as its edition was believed to date from the Yuan dynasty (1260-1368). By now it is acknowledged that this edition only dates from the sixteenth century. Both the contents of the story and the printing of the text, however, may well deserve a second look as they lead to intriguing questions about the origins of the genre and its early use.

Speaker: Wilt L. Idema, Professor of Chinese Literature Emeritus, Harvard University When the Precious Scroll of the Red Gauze was first introduced to the academic world, it was presented as the earliest work in the genre, as its edition was believed to date from the Yuan dynasty (1260-1368). By now it is acknowledged that this edition only dates from the sixteenth century. Both the contents of the story and the printing of the text, however, may well deserve a second look as they lead to intriguing questions about the origins of the genre and its early use.

Wilt Idema - A Second Look at the Precious Scroll of the Red Gauze

Wilt Idema‘s new book traces a story and its transformations through hundreds of years of Chinese literature. The Resurrected Skeleton: From Zhuangzi to Lu Xun (Columbia University Press, 2014) collects and translates variations of the tale of Master Zhuang in his encounter with a skeleton who comes back to life... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/east-asian-studies

Wilt Idema‘s new book traces a story and its transformations through hundreds of years of Chinese literature. The Resurrected Skeleton: From Zhuangzi to Lu Xun (Columbia University Press, 2014) collects and translates variations of the tale of Master Zhuang in his encounter with a skeleton who comes back to life... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>Support our show by becoming a premium member! <a href="https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/east-asian-studies" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/east-asian-studies</a>

Wilt Idema, “The Resurrected Skeleton: From Zhuangzi to Lu Xun” (Columbia University Press, 2014)

Wilt Idema‘s new book traces a story and its transformations through hundreds of years of Chinese literature. The Resurrected Skeleton: From Zhuangzi to Lu Xun (Columbia University Press, 2014) collects and translates variations of the tale of Master Zhuang in his encounter with a skeleton who comes back to life and wreaks all sorts of havoc in the lives of those around him. (In some versions, Zhuang instead comes across a grieving widow and becomes enmeshed in series of misadventures upon trying to help her.) The chapters of the book introduce and present three texts from the seventeenth-century, two short ballads from the nineteenth century or later, and one modern story by Lu Xun, all adaptations and variations of the story of Zhuang and the skeleton. While working through these masterful (and occasionally quite humorous) translations, readers also learn about different genres of texts that have embodied this story over time, from Ming narrative daoqing (sentiments of the Way) texts that incorporated poems, prose passages, and more; to youth books (zidishu, or “bannermen tales”); to precious scrolls (baojuan) meant especially to appeal to women; to satirical one-act dramas, and beyond. The Resurrected Skeleton is a gripping and brilliantly translated set of stories, equally suited to the research scholar, the pleasure-reader, and the teacher who might be on the lookout for excellent primary source translations for use in a university classroom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilt_L._Idema" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wilt Idema</a>‘s new book traces a story and its transformations through hundreds of years of Chinese literature. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I2G74M6/?tag=newbooinhis-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Resurrected Skeleton: From Zhuangzi to Lu Xun</a> (Columbia University Press, 2014) collects and translates variations of the tale of Master Zhuang in his encounter with a skeleton who comes back to life and wreaks all sorts of havoc in the lives of those around him. (In some versions, Zhuang instead comes across a grieving widow and becomes enmeshed in series of misadventures upon trying to help her.) The chapters of the book introduce and present three texts from the seventeenth-century, two short ballads from the nineteenth century or later, and one modern story by Lu Xun, all adaptations and variations of the story of Zhuang and the skeleton. While working through these masterful (and occasionally quite humorous) translations, readers also learn about different genres of texts that have embodied this story over time, from Ming narrative daoqing (sentiments of the Way) texts that incorporated poems, prose passages, and more; to youth books (zidishu, or “bannermen tales”); to precious scrolls (baojuan) meant especially to appeal to women; to satirical one-act dramas, and beyond. The Resurrected Skeleton is a gripping and brilliantly translated set of stories, equally suited to the research scholar, the pleasure-reader, and the teacher who might be on the lookout for excellent primary source translations for use in a university classroom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>Support our show by becoming a premium member! <a href="https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies</a>