Chapter 15 Section 4 Literary Association and Journal

1. Literary Association The literati seemed to gather in Wuhan suddenly.I can meet new literary friends every day.I have always lived in the north, and I don't like to go to Shanghai, so I don't know many friends in the literary and art circles, and I hardly know any of the famous actors in the theater circle.Now, I have the opportunity to meet them. Guo Moruo, Mao Dun, Hu Feng, Feng Naichao, Ai Wu, Lu Yan, Yu Dafu, gentlemen, have all met.In addition, I also met Yang Hansheng in the drama world, gentlemen of Song Zhi, and many famous directors and artists. When friends met, they all wanted to organize the National Association of Literary and Art Circles Against the Enemy, so as to unite together and work together for the literature and art of the War of Resistance.I'm not a happy person, but since everyone invites me to participate, it's inconvenient for me to say goodbye.So, I took part in the preparatory work.

Prepared quite quickly.The inaugural meeting was held on March 27 of the next year.Literati seem to be a little careless on weekdays, but when it comes to important matters, they will work very hard and be very nervous.During the preparatory period of the Literary and Art Association, there was no money, but everyone was willing to pay, willing to run, and willing to bring their own cars and horses.Relying on this spirit of concerted efforts, everyone held the meeting successfully, and it was held very decently. "Cultural Association" founding meeting On March 27, the 27th year of the Republic of China, the National Association of Literary and Art Circles Against the Enemy held its inaugural meeting in the auditorium of the Hankou General Chamber of Commerce.

I was one of the preparatory committee members, and I was supposed to cross the river on the night of the 26th (I live in Wuchang) to prepare for the next day.It was raining and the road was dirty, and I had to write a small article, so I was lazy and didn't go; naturally, I knew that everything was well prepared. The weather in Wuhan is cloudy, sunny and unpredictable.Today's wind and rain are hard to predict whether tomorrow will be cloudy or sunny.At five o'clock in the morning on the 27th, I couldn't sleep well. "Bad weather is good weather" has become a common saying born out of the horrors of the air raids; I long for bad weather—that is, good.Wouldn't it be bad if the weather was sunny and the enemy planes came early in groups and all the attendees couldn't make it?As for the meeting already opened, it is easy to handle if there is an alarm again; since there is no difference between the front and the rear, who is afraid of death?

At six o'clock, I couldn't lie down anymore.From the looks of it, the red sun round is on the white stone building of Wuhan University.Wash your face and go outside.I thought to myself, even if there was an air raid, there would be a way to get to the other side of the river, but I was afraid that I would be stopped on the other side of the river, and I would be too anxious to get on the ferry.Walking hurriedly, to the river bank, the fog is very heavy, the sound of the water and the shadow of sails, the faint tortoise mountain, it is very beautiful, and I gradually feel relieved.When we arrived in Hankou, it was only eight o'clock when the fog subsided.

First go to Sanhu Printing Office to find Lao Xiang and He Rong.They were all up, probably all excited about the meeting.Can't sleep, Brother He Rong is usually the best at waking up late.After sitting for a while, everyone looked at the sunlight coming in through the windows and felt uneasy. "This day is not safe", was finally said; followed by: "Let's go!" There is a colored card tied in front of the main chamber of commerce, and a white cloth crosses the wide road, with majestic black characters written on it.Mr. Lou Shiyi was already standing inside the door, holding satin strips of various colors in his hand, ready to distribute them to the attendees; it is said that he came at seven o'clock.There were not many people in the auditorium, so the white cloth slogan and the flowers on the stage were particularly clear and clear.The white cloth strip that says "articles go to the countryside and articles enlist in the army" is more clear and eye-catching because the words are neatly written.Apart from these three or four strips of white cloth, there are no other slogans, which are quite serious and generous.

The first people I saw were Mr. Wang Pingling and Mr. Hua Lin. They both suffered a lot from setting up the venue. Mr. Pingling said with a smile: "I will come at six o'clock!" There are more and more people, and the registration area is crowded!After signing, they all happily took the satin strips and white cloth strips - the words of the founding meeting were printed on the satin strips, and the names of the people were written on the cloth strips, so that they would know who was who when they shook hands.After entering the meeting place, everyone formed into groups of three or four, some stood up, some sat down, and they all talked very happily.People came in again, knowing or not, blocking the way and shaking hands, no one felt unfamiliar or restrained.Slowly, the sitting groups formed larger groups, or even formed a whole row; the standing groups sat down as well, as if to express their obedience to the majority.A lot of photographers came, and seeing that the meeting hadn't started yet, they each invited writers separately, afraid to take pictures outside the house.At this time, the gentlemen who are the editors of the publications among the members are holding their own publications and distributing them to everyone.The printed manifesto of the conference, the notice to world writers, the draft constitution, and the notice to Japanese literary and art writers are already in the hands of everyone, but now several publications have been added, and they are almost out of reach, so they have to put them in their arms and hold them immediately. I feel a little inconvenient joy when I get up or sit down.

Ah, I saw Mr. Feng Zikai!I had wanted to meet him for a long time but had no chance, and I never expected that he would come to Hankou. I was so surprised to meet him here today.I know his beard, I've seen his pictures.His complexion (which cannot be seen in the photo) turned out to be dark and bright, not as fair as I had imagined.His eyes just matched his face, full of righteousness, bright but not flashy, elegant and simple.His words and his actions are all so gratifying and terrifying.He showed a sense of intimacy without knowing what to do, without rushing.His Mandarin seems not very fluent, but his eyes reveal a calm and sincere emotion.

Sitting next to him was Mr. Song Yunbin, who also met for the first time.After saying a few words, he taught me to write some manuscripts for a special issue for Children's Day.I quickly agreed.In Wuhan, anyone who asks for a manuscript has to agree; if an editor asks for it in person, if he hesitates, he will definitely be dragged to dinner by him; After talking with the two of them for a few words, Mr. Zhong Tianxin came over.I met him just now, and I haven't seen him for eight years, so of course I have a lot to talk about; well, I had no choice but to leave Feng and Song and find Brother Tianxin; besides, he is still waiting for me to introduce him to friends.He came from Guangzhou this time.I have gained a lot of weight, but my attitude is still so stable and unswerving.We talked for a while, and mentioned many old friends, and it was rare to see each other; but now there are so many friends from the literary and art circles, how difficult it is to gather together!

There are more people.The female guests began to ask everyone to sign.I am very envious of them, who can get such a good opportunity; at the same time, I am ashamed that my handwriting is so bad, page after page is dedicated to wasting paper for others—and it is such exquisite paper! Quickly start the meeting, and saw Mr. Yu Dafu at a glance.It's been a long time since I heard that he is the most upright person, but it's a pity that I didn't have the chance to meet him.I rushed up to shake hands with him, and sure enough he was a bold man.He is very natural, very generous, not intentionally affectionate, but indeed affectionate.While talking with him, Mr. Guo Moruo came and met him for the first time.After only one word with Mr. Guo, friends from the conference secretariat urged everyone to take their seats in case the bell rings for the meeting.The officials of the party and government organs, the honorary presidium, and the presidium all sat on the stage.The most noticeable member of the honorary presidium is Mr. Shikajigen, a famous Japanese writer. He is not too short in stature, thin and thin; with a pale face and thick hair, he does not look very Japanese.Mr. Hu Feng accompanied him and introduced him to everyone.His back is straight, and his waist and hands are ready to bow and shake hands with others. His attitude shows sincerity in a little formality, and determination in his modesty.His small body seemed to bear a burden tens of thousands of times larger than his.His face was obviously melancholy, but he was very brave. He stood upright and came to shake hands with friends who truly love peace, and walked together on the difficult road to justice.His wife was sitting under the stage, looking quite like a Cantonese woman.

The bell rang, and all stood.The whole hall could no longer hear a sound. Mr. Shao Lizi announced the opening of the meeting, and Mr. Wang Pingling reported on the preparatory process and read congratulatory messages from various places.The two gentlemen shared ten minutes together, which gives a good cue to lecturers and lecturers--to be short and to the point.The lectures given by Mr. Fang Zhi and the representative of Minister Chen were really short and to the point.Mr. Lu Digen gave a speech!The atmosphere in the audience was extremely tense. Looking down from the stage, almost everyone's head was stretched forward.Mr. Hu Feng made a brief introduction, and then Mr. Lu Digen's flexible and vigorous words reached everyone's heart like throwing water with a small stone.Almost every time a paragraph was finished, there was thunderous applause; followed by silence again.When this movement is still, it makes people feel that justice and peace still exist in the world, but only the ambitious people can see it, and they are willing to disregard the world and attack the despicable darkness to bring light to mankind.How great is the responsibility of writers and artists!

Mr. Zhou Enlai and Mr. Guo Moruo gave speeches one after another, both of which were simple and powerful.Finally, two generals came up, Mr. Feng Yuxiang and Mr. Chen Mingshu.These two are members. They not only love literature and art, but also care and love literary and art movements and cultural undertakings very much.In history—as Mr. Zhou Enlai said—it is difficult to find such a great unity, because literati have little respect for each other.However, today not only are the literati sitting together in a friendly manner, but even the anti-Japanese generals are our members. It was already noon, and there was no way to invite more people to speak; in fact, there were still many people who should be invited.Mr. Shao Lizi (chairman) begged Mr. Xiang to report to everyone: (1) Please go outside to take pictures. (2) After taking the photo, go to Puhaichun for dinner. All guests and members are welcome to come. (3) After lunch, members will continue their meetings in Puhaichun, so as not to have to go back. The photo taking is really lively, you holding the photo box block me, I block you, the ones behind are anxious, and the ones in the front take photos again and again.After taking photos for a long time, everyone who had a share "returned with a full load". The sunny and warm spring light shone on everyone's smiling faces, and we went to the restaurant hand in hand.Old and young, fat and thin, male and female, tall and short, civilized and military, and those in Western or Chinese clothes, they all talked and laughed as they walked the street.The people on the street gathered around, probably feeling very strange—where did so many sour people come from? There are more than a dozen seats on the upper floor of Pu Haichun.Everyone didn't bother to attend the table, some went to talk to friends they had wanted to talk to for a long time, and some were busy signing for the ladies - Mr. Feng Yuxiang was surrounded by the wind and rain.At this time, I saw Mr. Lu Jiye.He is getting fatter, and his poems are better—he has impromptuly recited a poem of Qiluyi; he also said that he would congratulate me on the founding of the Literary Association.The two of us were exchanging addresses, and we called out to the seat, to the seat! I rushed to the front, found an empty seat and sat down.What a coincidence, this table is full of poets!On the left is Mr. Mu Mutian, on the right is Mr. Sikkim, and in the past are Ms. Song Yuan, Ms. Peng Ling and Mr. Jiang Shanqing....A plate of oranges has been snatched, so I had to grab the wine jug.After eating two dishes, the chairman announced that I would read the conference declaration aloud.Mr. Wang Pingling did not know where he went.I climbed into his chair and read aloud.I didn't expect to be so tired and flustered. I was already sweating halfway through reading.Fortunately, after drinking two glasses of wine, I haven't lost my strength yet.After reading it, I return to my seat, and the dishes are empty, which makes me sad. Mr. Sheng Cheng read the French translation of the book addressed to writers all over the world. He read it with great skill and won a lot of applause several times. A refugee was also sitting there for some reason. He stood up and sang a song of exile automatically, and everyone applauded.After he finished singing, Mr. Feng Yuxiang sang a dinner song with good lyrics and loud voice, which made everyone even more happy.After the old general sang, he toasted everyone with a glass of wine, but he didn't drink it himself. He had nothing to do with tobacco and alcohol.Immediately afterwards, I went to read out the original manuscripts to writers from all over the world. Mr. Sun Shiyi read aloud the letter to Japanese literary and art writers drafted by Mr. Hu Feng, and Mr. Lao Xiang read out a telegram of condolences to the supreme leader and frontline soldiers.The meal is over. Air Raid Alert! The anxiety I felt when I arrived at the meeting in the morning has been forgotten by the joy of the meeting place and the restaurant.However, as expected, the enemy plane really came.It seems that the violent enemy needs to intimidate this group of fighters who use pens as weapons when they gather, so that they can resist Japan more resolutely.Japanese warlords are such stupid things?The artillery massacre is only enough to strengthen the unity and unity of the Chinese nation!If they drop one more bomb, we will strengthen our determination to resist the war.Thanks guys! Emergency alert! The cups and plates on the table were removed, and everyone sat down in their original positions.The chairman took the chair and discussed the constitution.While discussing, the enemy plane came to the sky, and the anti-aircraft guns rang out, shaking the windows and rattling.Still discuss chapters! The constitution of the association was approved, and Mr. Shi Yi read out the proposals, which were passed one by one, and the alarm has not yet been lifted.conduct elections.After all the ballots were collected, the chairman announced that he would entrust the preparatory committee to check the ballots, and the election results would be disclosed in the newspaper the next day. The alarm is lifted and the meeting is adjourned. The grand occasion of the meeting was published in the evening paper, and enemy planes were also carried to bomb the Xujiapeng, killing and injuring more than 200 civilians!Take revenge!Let the literary and art circles roar!If the Chinese nation is not liberated, there will be no peace in the world; the inaugural meeting has been successfully concluded, let's work hard to do what needs to be done! General Affairs Team Leader The first council meeting was held by Mr. Feng.There was no money in the meeting, so we couldn't prepare tea and meals, so everyone forced Mr. Feng to treat them.Mr. Feng was very happy and prepared the richest and most affordable meals for everyone.All the directors attended the meeting, and no one asked for leave.During the meeting, the artist Zhang Shanzi "heard the news" and was willing to be a member.Everyone told him: "This is the Association of Literary and Art Circles, not the Association of Fine Arts." However, he had another explanation: "Literature and art are literature and art." Member of the Association. Later, Mr. Shanzi drew me the most exquisite fan - a black tiger standing on the autumn mountain with fine brushwork.For this fan, I went across the river to Rongbaozhai, and spent five yuan to get a pair of fan bones.People in Rongbaozhai also admit that it is a masterpiece.On that side, I begged Feng Zikai to write for him.Unfortunately, the first time I took it out, it was lost on the rickshaw, which made me sad for several days. I was elected as the executive director and had to be the leader of the general affairs group.I would like to be an executive director, but I would like to resign as the leader of the general affairs group. In the organization of the "Cultural Association", there is no chairman or chairman.When drawing up the charter, everyone was willing to teach it to show a democratic spirit, so it only stipulated that the standing directors share the leadership of each group, and they did not want to have a general leader.Therefore, the leader of the general affairs team is, in fact, the representative to the outside world, similar to the chairman of the board.I don't want to take on this burden.I know that I have neither enough reputation in the literary and art circles nor the ability to do things. However, no matter what, everyone would not allow me to resign, and some even stated that if I resigned from the general affairs, they would also quit.For fear of causing a stalemate, I had no choice but to nod. It doesn't matter, I have been re-elected every year for a full seven years. The plan to go to Changsha or other places is no longer even on my mind. The affairs of the "Cultural Association" trapped me in Wuhan. "Cultural Association" is seven years old① -------- ① Lao She has made great contributions to the "Artistic Association". It can be said that there would be no "Artistic Association" without Lao She.This article is a summary made by Lao She for the seventh anniversary of the founding of the "Artistic Association".In addition, Lao She also wrote many articles such as "Report on the Affairs of the Conference", which are all precious historical materials about the "Cultural Association". In my eyes, the "Cultural Association" sometimes sleeps for a while, but never dies once. When the "Artistic Association" was in Wuhan, almost every member knew the diary of the work in the meeting in detail, because there were so many symposiums and tea parties, everyone could hear what was done in the meeting yesterday, and what to do tomorrow.At that time, the membership fee did not exceed three hundred yuan, but the work was so intense that it seemed like we were running a bank.At that time, everyone tasted the joy of unity for the first time, so naturally they had to show their talents and donate some of their energy, time, and money to the group.At that time, there was a close relationship between the government and civil society, so everyone liked to do things, and the government was willing to do things for us.Those were happy days. When the "Cultural Association" moved to Chongqing, everyone was still happy in spirit, but the work was not as much as it was in Wuhan.One is that the transportation in the mountain city is inconvenient, unlike in Wuhan where you can hold a meeting by sending a message to each other; the other is that the price of goods is gradually rising, and everyone’s pockets are no longer as rich as before; therefore, it seems that only the directors know the diary of the meeting , and the members don't care much about it.Gradually, the price of goods is getting higher and higher, and the society is getting poorer and poorer, and in group activities, it is necessary to adopt an attitude of being quiet rather than moving, and the "Cultural Association" often takes a nap.But it is not dead.Its journal is out of date from time to time, but it has not stopped publishing.It also organized front-line missions and sent representatives to participate in front-line condolence missions.Every "July 7th", it will donate money-no matter how much the money is, we are always willing to do our best.It holds various symposiums, participates in national monthly meetings and various meetings.Its clubhouse is still the "natal home" of its members. It is not dead, so it gets the trust of the society.It never intentionally provokes disputes, so the government is willing to support and assist it from time to time. Last year, it launched a call for a fund to aid the poor and sick writers, and it got several million dollars without much trouble.Society values ​​it.This money has been of great use.There are many sick members who can recover from their illnesses with peace of mind because of the grants. Many members who were exiled from Hunan and Guangxi received relief halfway and came to Sichuan or Yunnan as soon as possible.Some members came to Chongqing, and the "Cultural Association" was able to entertain them and give them some comfort because it had a fund. The "Cultural Association" may no longer take a nap. The "Cultural Association" was born on March 27, 27, and has lived for seven full years.Its journal, "Anti-Japanese War Literature and Art", was born on May 4, 27, and has lived for seven full years today.Although seven years are short, it is not an easy task for a group, considering all the hardships in the War of Resistance. During these seven years, how many times has it heard the sound of bomb explosions! The General Assembly of the "Cultural Association" is poor but happy, and sleeps without dying, which also affects its branches.Although the branches in Hong Kong, Guilin, Qujiang, and Xiangfan all ended due to military relations, the branches in Guiyang, Chengdu, and Kunming became more active because of this.In the case of the Kunming branch, it also dozed off for a while.But in the past two years, it has revived again. Last year, it raised funds for the poor and sick writers, and its performance was better than that of the Chongqing Federation.Here, I can't help shouting: "Long live the Cultural Association"! 2. "Anti-Japanese War Literature and Art" The "cannon" job of the "Cultural Association" is to publish the journal.This was done quickly again.Everyone pooled some money and articles, and on May 4th "Anti-Japanese War Literature and Art" was published.The day was well chosen. "May 4th" is the birthday of new literature and art, and now it has become the birthday of "Anti-Japanese War Literature and Art".If the new literature and art were a weapon of social revolution, they have now become a weapon of national revolution and resistance to aggression. "Anti-Japanese War Literature and Art" was originally a three-day publication.No, this is too rushed.As a result, the weekly magazine was changed after five issues.The most enthusiastic are Yao Pengzi, Shiyi, Kong Luosun, and several gentlemen from Sikkim: they operate and rush for it day and night. Although the journal is not very big, it has opened a new era for literary journals - it is written by writers from all over the country, not by one or a few people.Positively, it must accommodate the works of all members under the premise of the Anti-Japanese War, and become a clear banner of the "Artistic Association".Negatively, it tries to avoid some mutual spats and almost malicious criticisms like those in pre-war publications.It needs to be stable and lively; it needs to gather ideas from the masses without losing sight of the definite goal of the War of Resistance;This is not easy to do.However, it has not changed its true colors from beginning to end.There has never been an article designed to vent my feelings, regardless of the general situation. "Anti-Japanese War Literature and Art" has published a total of 20 issues in Wuhan.Since the seventeenth issue, it has resumed publication in Chongqing.The traces of this change can be seen in the paper: the first sixteen issues and the four special issues were all printed on white newspaper, but from the seventeenth issue onwards, earthen paper was used instead. The printing conditions in Chongqing are not as good as those in Wuhan, and paper—although it is native paper—is also extremely scarce.Therefore, starting from the anniversary of the "Writer Association", the journal will be changed from a weekly to a bimonthly.Later, it was changed to a monthly magazine.Even after it was changed to a monthly magazine, it still has some issues.The lack of funds during the meeting and the inconvenience of printing are two important reasons for its delay.However, no matter how difficult it was, it never stopped publishing.It is the banner of the "Cultural Association", and the members will never allow it to fall down. By the time Japan surrendered, the conference had published seventy issues. I am not afraid to narrate the history of the journal of the "Artistic Association" in this way, because it is really a document worthy of attention.It not only published wartime literature and art creations, but also published all opinions and discussions on wartime literature and art, and reported the activities of many writers and artists.It is both literature and history.It will be some of the most important sources in the history of literature in the future.At the same time, it also shows some special spirits, allowing readers to see how the writers united together in the war of resistance, and unremittingly raised their banners to attack the violent enemies. In addition to being busy with journals, we have symposiums and fellowships almost every week.It was a happy day.Many acquaintances and strangers have become friends, discussing many issues of anti-Japanese literature and art together.When holding a tea party, everyone pays for their own tea supplies; the party is so poor that they can't even "wait for tea".After the meeting, the person who just got the manuscript fee always treats guests automatically, going to drink and eat cheap meals.We have held meetings in clubs, parks, beautiful cafes, friends' homes, and hotels.If there was an air raid at night, we would turn off the lights and talk in the dark. At this time, everyone talked about two issues: one was how to teach literature and art to the countryside and join the army, and the other was how to make literature and art serve the War of Resistance.The former is the reason why people began to pay attention to popular folk literature and art; the latter is to make people pay more attention to new genres such as reciting poetry, street drama, and reportage in addition to poetry, novels, and dramas. However, the result of this popular literature and art movement is not so much that literature and art really penetrated into the civilians and the army, but rather that literature and art itself gained new strength and produced a new style.Literary and art workers can only be responsible for discussion, trial production, and advocacy, but cannot send their works to the civilians and the army.This requires a lot of funds and political power, and artists themselves can neither find funds nor political power.In this way, writers and artists want to go to the people or the army, but they have no way to find a way, so they have no choice but to write popular reading materials and publish them in newspapers and periodicals.This is a pity and a helpless thing. Although more than 10,000 copies of my "One Year of Anti-Japanese War" drum poem were distributed on the anniversary of "July 7th"; although the "Anti-Japanese War to the End" edited by Mr. He Rong and Mr. Lao Xiang is a publication that only publishes popular literary works ;Although some people tried to carve out newly written popular literature and art on wood blocks, so as to sell them together with "Meng Jiangnu" and "Sighing at the Five Watches"; although the Ministry of Education also established a popular reading publication department soon; This movement, in terms of implementation, has always been trivial and unsurprising.I know that these works have never been able to go to the countryside and the army-who pays a lot of money to print 5 million copies?Who transports them away?Is it allowed to send a large number of prints to the army and the people?None resolved.Without political forces behind it, it can only become a literary movement, a movement with little real effect. Member Yu Dafu and Mr. Sheng Cheng went to the front line to comfort the army.When they came back, they reported to everyone: You can’t even read newspapers on the front line, let alone literature and art books.The soldiers had no choice but to go to the homes of ordinary people to borrow idle books such as "Shi Gong An".Hearing this, everyone is more willing to immediately write some popular reading materials, and first print one or two million copies and send them to the front.We are indeed willing to write, but what about the cost of printing and the method of distribution?No one can answer.So, everyone had to worry, but couldn't think of a way.