Topic:Questions re: "wo de Yan lei bu hui diao xia lai"
Bruce Humes vs wanglili
Date:2006.8.9
by emails
I would like to write about your book in my next column. I will NOT run a standard ¡°question-and-answer¡± column, but I may quote parts of what you write below in my column.
I am still reading your book and therefore there are many questions I cannot ask now! Too bad, we have to move forward today.
Remember that I have a lot of material already: I am reading your book (am taking notes!), we have spoken, I accompanied you to your former factory, and I have your summaries, etc. So these questions are not necessarily the ¡°heart¡± of my concerns; just a few things I would like to ask.
Briefly answer the questions that interest you and ignore the others if you like. Use Chinese or English as you like.
Have grouped questions around a topic. Answer any of the questions you like.
----from Bruce Humes
A:Migrant workers: Who is listening?
1,According to you, there has been very little fictional literature written in China about the experience of migrant factory workers. Why is this?
that is because,Almost all migrants are not writers,and almost all writers are not migrants.they both live in absolutely different world.
Now more and more writers called on by government begin to write migrants,but I don't think they can write good novels on migrants as they just watch "Golden fish life"through "glass",not in the life of migrants.
2,Are such works politically sensitive, or is society simply not interested?
No.
3, Has your book sold well and been reprinted, and if not, why not?
Not.very complicated.The core reason is that audience is not so interested in this topic.
4. What do actual readers of the novel tell you about how they see your story?
They don't believe it,or they cry,or they are struck a chord heavily.
B:Sexual harassment in the workplace
1.There are several places in your novel where sexual harassment is implied or actually described. In a real-life factory in Shenzhen, how much sexual harassment does a factory girl typically face?
very much.
2.How do they deal with it?
They don't know how to deal with it.Almost all of them are from countryside without sex experience.Many of them choose to bear it or keep silence in order to keep the simple job.some of them choose to say no,but soon they lose their job.When they find the new job,they meet same ¡°nightmare¡±---sexual harassment again.
3.Are male managers the key ¡°doers¡±, and among them, are HK/Taiwan/overseas managers more likely to harass employees?
Yes.
4.Did you intentionally exaggerate or ¡°soften¡± your description of sexual harassment when writing the novel, and if so, why?
No.it is natural.
5. During the editing stage, were scenes relating to harassment heavily edited or deleted?
No.
C:Getting published
1.You spoke with me in some detail about how difficult it is to ¡°get published.¡± Pls briefly relate for us: Once you had finished your text, what did you do to find a publisher?
I go to shenzhen bookcity to find publishers' mail addresses to mail them my novels,after it failed,I go to Beijing,shanghai,GuangXi,GuangZhong to promote my novels in the publishers'office.I still failed.After two years unsuccessful promotion,I lost my hope.but I want to try again.then I mail my novels to BaiYe which is one of most famous reviewer.Soon my luck is coming to me.
2. Among those who turned you down, what were the reasons?
The core reasons are they are not interested in the topic and I was not famous,just a simple migrant.
3.Why do you believe the current publisher agreed to publish your book?
The current publisher was shocked by my novel,my editor even can't help to cry while he is reading my novel.They think my novel is cool,great,absolutely fantanstic.
4. Once your book was accepted for publication, did you have any say about what was added or deleted?
I say,I hate editor to add or delete my novel.They agree with me.
5. Do you feel you had more or less difficulty finding a publisher because you were once a ¡°dagong mei¡±?
Absolutely more difficulty.
D:New life in Shanghai
1.It has been four years since you left SZ and you are clearly now very pleased with your new life in Shanghai. Besides the change in your employ ¨C factory worker/guard/clerk vs independent writer ¨C what key differences do you now see between the ¡°feeling¡± of daily life in Shanghai vs Shenzhen?
In shenzhen,I was insulted, less than an animal.
In shanghai,I am respected,a celebrity,leading a human being life.
2.Do you feel that women are treated differently in the two cities?
sure.absolutely different.
In shanghai,women are respected,women are first sex,not second sex.For shanghai women,very few opportunities, meet Sexual harassment
3. Now that you have left the ¡°nightmare¡± of the SZ dagong life, do you continue to be concerned about the fate of migrant workers in Shenzhen or even Shanghai?
Well,I am not special in writing migrants.As a writer,I hate repeat,I love to write very differently.
thanks for your attention to my first novel--"wo de Yan lei bu hui diao xia lai".
thanks for your questions.