Jia Pingwa

Jia Pingwa 贾平凹
Born	Jia Pingwa (贾平娃) (1952-02-21) 21 February 1952 Shangluo, Shaanxi, China
Pen name	Jia Pingwa
Occupation	Writer
Language	Chinese
Nationality	Chinese
Education	Graduated - Northwest University School of Arts (1975)
Period	1972 – present
Notable works	Deserted City, My Little Peach Tree
Spouse	Han Junfang (韩俊芳) (1979.1.22-1992.11.26) Guo Mei (郭梅) (1996.12.12– present)
Children	Jia Qianqian (贾浅浅) Jia Ruo (贾若)

Jia Pingwa (simplified Chinese: 贾平凹; traditional Chinese: 賈平凹; pinyin: Jiǎ Píngwā; born 21 February 1952), formerly known as Jia Pingwa (simplified Chinese: 贾平娃; traditional Chinese: 賈平娃; pinyin: Jiǎ Píngwá), is a Chinese novelist and short story writer. He was born in Dihua Town, Danfeng, Shangluo, Shaanxi, graduated from Northwest University School of Arts in 1975,^[1] began to publish works in 1972. His novels includes "Shang State", "White Night", and the autobiographical "I am a Farmer". His 1993 novel, Deserted City was banned for its explicit sexual content by the State Publishing Administration. The novel was re-released 17 years later.^[2] His most famous novel is Shaanxi Opera, which won the Mao Dun Literature Prize.^[3]

He is the Chairman of the Writers' Association of Shaanxi Province,^[4] and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference^[5] and Xi'an People's Congress. Currently he also is a member of the Presidium of the Chinese Writers' Association,^[6] Xi'an Literary Federation President, Xi'an Writers' Association Honorary Chairman,^[7] Dean of the College of Arts of Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology,^[8] the editor-in-chief of "Essay" (Mei Wen),^[9] In-school writer of the Ocean University of China.^[10]

He has been cited as the China's third most popular writer in a biennial poll conducted by the Chinese Publishing Science Research Center in 2006.^[11]

Biography

After he graduated from the university in 1975, he served as literary editor of Shaanxi People's Publishing House and "Chang’an" literary monthly editor. In 1982, he got started to work at Literary Federation of Xi'an city. Serving as a professional writer, he began the literary creative efforts. In 1992, he created a new proser monthly journal called Pretty Words. He was elected as the member of a council of Chinese Writers Association, the president of Chinese Writers Association of Shaanxi branch and the president of Literary Federation of Xi'an, etc. From 2003, he served as the dean of the school of Humanities and the dean of the college of Arts in Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology.

Style

Jia Pingwa’s works mix tradition and modernity, realistic and lofty. The language is simple and honest, yet inwardly taking readers’ breath away.

"Shaanxi Opera", a subtle narrative, in close detail, successfully portrays the daily true life and does a full interpretation about the changes in the confused local Chinese facing contradictory. The hustle and bustle of his characters, hidden grief, lives behind solitude. Perhaps something sturdy vanished, we face can only be a huge silence. "Shaanxi Opera" is the vivid portrayal of the era.

Jia Pingwa’s works, in a unique perspective, accurately and profoundly, portrays the time between the twentieth century to the beginning of the 21st century, in the process of modernization in the past three decades, China’s painful and tragic social transformation. They are not only a complete restoration and reproduction of real life, but also an in-depth description of contemporary Chinese people's spiritual world. His works are a true expression of modern life and emotions of the Chinese people.

His works fill with imaginary, conduct true emotion by a common expression and deliver compassion by a flat words. His readers are not only from mainland China, but also from abroad. With different national origins and cultural background, his readers share a common agreement on the positive leitmotiv his works expressed out.

Personal life

After graduating from university, Jia Pingwa was assigned to work at the Shaanxi People's Publishing House. One day, a classmate of his secondary school, worked in Shaanxi Art School, mentioned another classmate’s sister called Han Junfang, who is an opera singer in hometown troupe. Then Jia Pingwa said: "What?" and stood up and moved back and forth in place. The classmate thought he didn’t feel well, but the truth was that Jia Pingwa had seen that girl before, and was touched by her pure, graceful and charm. Unfortunately, that girl is in the kulak class. In the "Never forget class struggle" years, Jia was afraid to fall in love with her.

In the beginning of 1979, after Gang of Four has been crushed, Jia Pingwa married Han Junfang. The ceremony was held in Jia pingwa’s single quarter. A year later, their daughter Jia Qianqian was born.

In 1990s, Jia met a lady, who played a role in a play adapted from of his novel. They built their friendship after many pleasant talks, and learned a lot from each other. But their relationship made Han Junfang thought that her husband had an "affair", she wanted to know the woman’s information, but Jia Pingwa didn’t tell her, and explained that they were just friends. Han Junfang didn’t believe and wanted a divorce. On the morning of 26 November 1992, they divorced.

The divorce made Jia Pingwa extremely painful. He can’t stop thinking of his ex-wife and worried about what she would do for a living. Heard of the news, Jia’s good friends wanted to restore the marriage by letting Jia admit his fault initiatively to earn forgiveness, Jia Pingwa agreed to do it, but Han JunFang refused, she said she could be a friend, but refused to remarry.

In February 1993, after a few months, under the persuasion of friends, Han Junfang and Jia Pingwa agreed to remarry finally. Han JunFang even agreed to accompany Jia Pingwa to Beidaihe Sanatorium, but later because Jia Pingwa didn’t agree with the remarried conditions proposed by Han Junfang, their remarriage failed.

After the divorce, Jia Pingwa’s physical condition was not good and went to the hospital. This was the turning point of his future life. A beautiful young woman, called Guo Mei, walked into his life. Guo Mei was a nurse, 1.75 meters high and 10 cm taller than Jia Pingwa. In her childhood, Guo Mei liked to read Jia Pingwa’s novels and became his fans. Once Guo Mei hold a Deserted City to have Jia Pingwa’s signature, and that encounter left a good impression to Guo Mei. During the time in hospital, Guo Mei took good care of Jia pingwa, often to buy fresh fruit and make delicious food, and read newspapers to Jia pingwa in spare time... So Jia Pingwa married Guo Mei. In order to let Jia Pingwa focused on writing, Guo Mei resigned her nurse job and dedicated to take care of Jia Pingwa’s living.

List of works

From 1972, he began to publish works.

Novel:

• "Shang State",(also known as ShangZhou or ShangZhou City)
• "Pregnancy",
• Fuzao (浮躁, 1988) 1988 Pegasus Prize. English translation "Turbulence" (1991)^[12]
• "Visiting the Mountain",
• "Oiled Moon",
• "Spring",
• "Deserted City", (also known as Defunct Capital or Abandoned Capital)
• "White Night",
• "Earth Door",
• "Pathema Report",
• "Missing Wolves ",
• "Shaanxi Opera", (also known as Qin Qiang)
• "Happy",
• "Ancient Furnace", etc.

Short story:

• "Mountain Notes",
• "December and January",
• "Sky Dog",
• "Black Clan",
• "Dumpling Restaurant",
• "The Artist Han Qixiang ",
• "Boy Soldier",
• "Ugly Stone ",
• "Making Sound", etc.

Essay:

• "Moon Trace",
• "love trail",
• "Walking in Shandong",
• "Speak ",
• "Sit in Meditation",
• "Knock on the Door",
• "To be a people at ease",
• "Walking Worm", etc.

Poem:

• "Blank", etc.

Awards and honours

• 1987, the Pegasus prize in literature for Turbulence: A Novel.^[13] ISBN 9780802139726; ISBN 0802139728; Translator: Goldblatt, Howard; Publisher: Grove Press;

• 1997, French Prix Femina Étranger Prize for Deserted City (also known as Defunct Capital, Abandoned Capital, French: La Capitale déchue ).^[14]
  • French publisher Genevieve Imbot-Bichet translated Jia Pingwa's Defunct Capital helped Jia win the prize.

• 1984, The Best Novel of the Third National Novellas for December and January.^[15]
  • This novel was first published in the literary magazine October, 5th Volume, 1984.

• 1978, The Best Short Story of the year for Full Moon.^[16]
  • This short story was first published in the literary magazine Shanghai Art, 3rd Volume, 1978.

• 2003, Knight of Arts and Literature by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication.^[17]

• 2008, 7th Mao Dun Literature Prize for Shaanxi Opera.^[3]
  • This novel was first published in the literary magazine Harvest, the book was first published by Writers Publishing House.

• 2004, 3rd Lu Xun Literature Prize in excellent prose and Essays for Jia Pingwa’s Lengthy Prose Selection.^[18]
  • Published in September 2003 by Shaanxi People's Publishing House.

• 2007 September 20, 1st Pu Songling Literature Short Story Prize for Dumpling Restaurant.^[19]

• 1991 August 21, he won the Zhuang Zhongwen Literature Prize.^[20]

• 2006 June 24, he won the Outstanding Achievement Award from Liu Qing Literature Prize.^[21][22]

• 2006, Hong Kong The Dream of the Red Chamber Award: The World’s Distinguished Novel in Chinese" for Shaanxi Opera.^[23][24]

References

Further reading

• Chinese Writers on Writing featuring Jia Pingwa. Ed. Arthur Sze. (Trinity University Press, 2010).

External links

• Jia Pingwa: Painter or novelist?
• Narrating China: Jia Pingwa and his Fictional World (Routledge Contemporary China Series) by Yiyan Wang Routlege, 2006 ISBN 0-415-32675-3
  • Reviewed in Modern Chinese Literature and Culture by Robin Visser (2006).
• The Macho Eunuch: The Politics of Masculinity in Jia Pingwa's "Human Extremities" by Kam Louie Modern China Vol. 17, No. 2, 163-187 (1991)
• Flies' Eyes, Mural Remnants, and Jia Pingwa's Perverse Nostalgia by Carlos Rojas, positions: east Asia cultures critique 14.3 (2006) 749-773
• Intute: Arts and Humanities