The Role of the Writer panel discussion, The University of Iowa, 1990s

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The Role of the Writer panel discussion, The University of Iowa, 1990s

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Title	The Role of the Writer panel discussion, The University of Iowa, 1990s
Creator	Wong, Yoon-wah Zhang, Xianliang Yang, Ching-chu Feng, Jicai Hsiang, Yang
Creator - Nationality	Singaporean Chinese Taiwanese
Contributor	Torrevillas, Rowena
Date Original	1990/1999
Description	Rowena Torrevillas introduces each of the speakers. Wong Yoon Wah, a poet from Singapore, begins by talking about how you can't understand the role of writers unless you understand the circumstances of the country they are from. Wong feels it is important for Singapore writers to keep their work unique and different from that of Western writers. Wong wants singapore writers to write in their native language. Xhang Xianliang, a poet and fiction writer from Beijing, speaks in Chinese while a translator repeats what he says in English (the translator is somewhat hard to hear). Xhang was imprisoned by Mao Zedong for writing the poem 'Song of the Great Wind' in 1957 because it was considered to be rightist propaganda. Xhang spent 22 years in jails and labor camps. Xhang talks about his life after the imprisonment and his views on the politics and social issues in China. Yang Ching-chu, a fiction writer from Taiwan, spent time in prison and while in prison he wrote several novels, including The Girl From Another Village. This novel is about a woman who is factory worker in Taiwan and it shows the inhumane way women and factory workers are treated in Taiwan. Many of Yang's works have been made into movies. Yang himself is a self-educated writer who grew up as a factory worker. Yang speaks in Chinese and a translator repeats what he says in English. Yang discusses<> how hard it is for the families of factory workers in Taiwan. He writes about the factory workers in Taiwan in order to cause an awareness for the rights of women and factory laborers. In trying to help the laborers, he promoted democracy and this is what eventually caused him to be imprisoned. There is a brief pause during the recording while the tape is switched from side A to side B. Feng Jicai, a fiction writer from Beijing, believes that it is important for writers to actively experience whatever other human beings experience. He talks about how he hid his writings by burying them in the ground or putting them in the walls under pictures and news clippings of Mao Zedong. He feels that a writer should be a thinker and an artist and not a politician. Feng says that writers should not only write about social problems, but also look behind those problems. Many people are all talking at once during this portion of the tape and so it is hard to hear what is being said at times. Hsiang Yang, a poet from Taiwan, speaks in Chinese while a translator repeats what he says in English. A translator reads his poem 'My Puppeteering Brother-In-Law.' Questions are taken from the audience at the end.
Topical Subject (LCTGM)	Authors Writing
Personal Name Subject	Wong, Yoon-wah; Zhang, Xianliang; Yang, Ching-chu; Feng, Jicai; Hsiang, Yang
Geographic Subject	United States -- Iowa -- Iowa City
Chronological Subject	1990-2000
Type (DCMIType)	Sound
Type (AAT)	Broadcasts Dramatic readings Interviews
Type (IMT)	mpeg
Duration	1:58:00
Language	English
Digital Collection	Virtual Writing University Archive
Contributing Institution	University of Iowa. International Writing Program
Subcollection	International Writing Program Collection
Rights Management	Educational use only, no other rights given. U.S. and international copyright laws may protect this digital object. Commercial use or distribution of the object is not permitted without prior permission of the copyright holder.
Contact Information	Contact the VWU Webmaster: http://www.writinguniversity.org/index.php/main/info/25/
Digitization Specifications	Originally recorded on audio cassette and converted to wav and mp3 files. Master digital recording available in .wav format.
Date Digital	2005-04-19
File Name	AC-53.mp3

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