Guan Renshan: I am listed as a writer who insists on realistic writing methods. It feels complicated. In the era of innovation, in the eyes of many people, realism is at least considered outdated, if not dead. Others think that our creation is not real realism, because it lacks independent personality and critical spirit. The realism I understand is a realistic spirit, a value standpoint and a way of life expression. I remember 1996, the Troika published some works, as well as some works by writers from other provinces, which continued the vigorous tide of "literature reform" in the first half of the 1980s, picked up realism that had been interrupted for ten years, absorbed many advantages of exploratory novels and neo-realistic novels, and showed the return and promotion of China writers' sense of social responsibility. Many writers in this trend have different emphases, and their works have the same enthusiasm for real life. My two brothers, Little Shenyang and Ge Tan, gathered under this heading. We have friendship and learned a lot from them. We often discuss what is the tradition of realism? The dictionary says: realism is a creative method in literature and art, which reflects the essence of real life through the description of typical characters and typical environments. Formerly known as realism. Realism should reflect the essence of real life. What is the essence of life? I'm afraid everyone has a different understanding. True and brave writing seems to follow the "stream of life" to find the text of life, but in fact, it is necessary to establish the essence of "humanism". If the novel stays on the display of "problems", it is superficial. China, a big family, has many problems. Realistic creation is close to the times and touches on problems, which is the traditional way for our writers to intervene in society and life. The social transition period will inevitably bring all kinds of difficulties and problems to the society. In the past, under the "Left" line, realism went astray, often giving too much literature and taking too much literature, which was against the laws of literature itself. However, literature is far from the real society and has its limitations. I think a good novel is both social and spiritual. In the mid-1990s, literature tended to return to the folk. Pursuing the essence of life, however, through a deep understanding of realism, our creation needs to be adjusted, and writers should turn realistic problems into the soul of art. I have reflected on my own creation, and I have gradually retreated. However, my criticism is not enough and my spirit is not enough. The next long article, if you want to have a deep understanding of the real world and reflect it in your works, you must be full of the suffering of life and the light of human nature. I really appreciate a passage in Dr. Shao's article "Passing Suffering to the Earth": "I believe that when a writer roots back to this still-suffering land, he will think about the writer's mission, literary responsibility, what to write and how to write. I hope that the real blood and tears of the working people will refill their gradually dried-up and light pens, write' solemn, serious and profound' works, restore the respectable realism tradition, and stop turning a blind eye to human suffering. "These words are sincere, which is what critics expect of writers. According to my understanding, novels have become very confused, utilitarian, frivolous and fluent, and are getting farther and farther away from real realism. When the writer reflects, the writer should wake up and the real realistic method will wake up. After waking up, the writer will think independently and judge rationally, and become a warrior. A warrior is better than a coward, and thinking is better than numbness. Therefore, we must inject more imagination and original spirit into realistic writing. Realism will not die out, but will continue to develop, enrich and deepen.
Meng Fanhua: You are a writer who is sensitive to real life. You always use novels to quickly reflect the real life that is happening. For example, Maihe soon involves the issue of "land circulation", Trust is about the ongoing economic transformation, and White Gate is about the changes of a fishing village in Bohai Bay. It is very valuable for you to reflect real life in time. I feel that this is a challenge to writers. What is the biggest problem you encounter in your creation? Can you talk about solutions in combination with what you have written about rural areas, officialdom and cities?
Guan Renshan: Advocating writers to be close to life, reality and the masses. Therefore, "approaching" is my inevitable choice. I like novels that express contemporary real life, which is my inner passion. I feel that novels are by no means destined to keep a great distance from reality, and novels can describe contemporary social problems and times in a timely and excellent way, which has aroused readers' * * *. Japanese writer Kenzaburo Oe said: "I am more concerned about the present era, because the times are changing rapidly, and a writer should not avoid the changing space of his daily life." But it is difficult to get close to it, and the real life is not good, so we have encountered great difficulties in facing the present life, first of all, cognitive difficulties. Why? Because there is no distance, this is not only a realistic distance, but also an aesthetic distance. It is said that distance produces beauty! Modernity is the most difficult to grasp, and real life is changeable and complicated. It is difficult to write about life in today's society truly and strongly, because readers are experiencing it, lacking strangeness and mystery. In my opinion, writers should face up to difficulties and struggle hard in the face of reality. I call this recklessness "how bold people are and how productive the land is." There is no distance between cognition and damaged aesthetics, which should be made up by other places. For example, is the establishment of Maihe positive or negative for land transfer? It doesn't matter which way you take, because from the central government to the local government, you are all in the exploration stage. Then, push these big events to the background, connect the complexity of "land circulation" with farmers' humanity, express farmers' feelings for the land, let this ideal feeling soar, and thus reach the essence of life. A few years ago, the central government allowed the transfer of rural land contractual management rights, which was another major breakthrough in rural land policy since production quotas entered the household. The circulation of rural land contractual management right is the third land right reform in China. Now many rural areas in China have carried out land transfer. Farmers in "circulation" are more free and their income is increasing, but there are also many problems. The traditional view of the countryside in the past is now out of date. Disrespect the complexity of life. You will make some childish mistakes and even help. In fact, today's complicated situation is related to the long-term copying of administrative orders in the past. For example, some people say that we should engage in marketization. We have tried for more than ten years, but there are still problems. Others say that the market is ineffective. Some people say that the best way to maintain social stability is to tie farmers to the land. This small piece of land can maintain their basic survival, and the land is basically transformed into social security for farmers. However, which country in the world pushes social security to individuals? Let the land become a stabilizer to prevent farmers from flowing. However, with the development of this country today, who is qualified to let one group make sacrifices for another? We feel that there are no complete farmers today, and the individual identity of farmers is being divided. Every farmer is himself. He has the freedom of choice, and he has the right to move to a big city. Of course, he can choose to stay in the countryside. Farmers just want to change the fate of themselves and their children through their humble labor. No one can kill their choice. It is unfair to deprive and strangle them. Our peasants need neither enlightenment nor sympathy now. They are no longer happy with poverty, and even less willing to be victims. They have begun to pursue their own happy life. They need cities, like modernization, like beautiful homes, and prefer to enjoy life freely under the blue sky. Rural problems are urgent and severe. Local narrative is still in the model stage. How to find a new writing method to adapt to the new situation puzzles us. I can't face such great changes in the countryside. In a small village, there are billions of rich people, middle class, poor households and poor farmers. How to sum it up? This is a serious and complicated problem. Hate this city? Is it cheap to praise the countryside? Show the poverty dilemma? Integrate broken memories? Every single item is one-sided, so we should treat the complexity of rural areas rationally. In addition, I put today's "land circulation" under the background of land changes in the past 100 years, so I can see it more clearly. This is just a drop in the ocean, and it cannot completely solve the problems of farmers and land. Farmers still have a long way to go on the land.