Whenever mention is made of the rank “famous writers,”
everyone, including the famous writers themselves, becomes
incensed. To loathe the famous writer is one example of the
loathing we feel towards celebrities. Don’t be mistaken, this
does not mean that we harbor no grudge against unknown writers.
Ordinary people have no idea who the unknown writers are;
hence they do not know where to direct their loathing.
Ultimately, it is those few writers who are exposed under the sun
that become easy targets. Without the need to aim, you can hit
them. This, is the crisis facing famous writers today.
No wonder the English language calls the act of social
climbing lion-hunting. Climb all you want, but if you are denied
the climb, chase them and turn them into prey. The acts may be different but the motive is the same. However, to view a famous
writer as “an object” is at best a flimsy endeavor because even if
the writer was a lion he would only be an awkwardly glued
together paper lion. In spite of his impressive mane, he is the
kind of lion that would keel over without a roar. If you were to
aim for the lion, no rifle would be needed. In truth, the murder
of a famous writer is much easier than you think.
The law does not stipulate that you are prohibited from
murdering a famous writer provided the job is clean. And even
if the law did, it would not be as strictly enforced as the “No
Hunting” provision you find at animal preservation parks. The
hostility people harbor towards famous writers unites them. If
willing, you will have no problem finding hundreds, thousands
of comrades, no, make that conspirators, to support your cause.
Society will always side with the murderer in this case. I am
aware of at least the following groups of people who would willingly
work with you:
First there are the editors. The so-called editor is, without a
doubt, the legally designated lion hunter. The editor’s favorite
mealtime dish is the lion’s brain. The editor’s most powerful
weapon is the deadline. When you pull out this weapon, every
lion dies of fright. Any excuse the writer may have had: inspiration,
instinct, mood, health, artistic conscience seem childish and
laughable when faced with this harsh reality. If you can don’t
even mention the word “deadline.” The word is like a curse that
can imprecate all monsters in the world of literature. When an
editor utters the curse, he immediately assumes the authority of
an omnipotent exorcist or a lion tamer. His weapon can be made
even more destructive with some add-ons. Once the deadline is
set, the editor can proceed to call once every three days, send an
express letter once every five days so that the writer is confounded as to when the ticking bomb is going to go off. There
are very few masters who can hear the sound of the phone ringing
but remain calm or see the red word EXPRESS pasted on the
letter envelope but not blink an eye. Imagine if you were busy
tending to blooms in the garden when your wife yelled “Your
editor again!” from the house. Even if you were on Walden
Pond, I am certain you would have lost all interest in pastoral
undertakings.
Seeing that the paper lion is so amenable, we can of course
feed them even less. Prices may continue to soar but when it
comes to how much writers get paid per article, it is a downward
spiral. The fine print says, “30 dollars to 50 dollars per 1000
words” but all writers get paid 50 dollars so they can feel
relieved, even moved to tears that they, at least, got the better
end of the stick. However, what they are actually getting is the
rice bowl for the cultural beggar divided into nine portions. So
when the check finally arrives, it feels like you’ve been handed a
brain drain redemption coupon or a pawn ticket for your soul. It
is too meager for a cat, let alone to feed a lion. A cat at least still
has nine lives but a lion only one. When editors join the secret
sect to murder writers, well, the lion’s days are numbered.
Actually, the editor is assuming more than his share of
blame here. At most, the editor can only be considered an
accomplice. The main perpetrator has to be the editor’s employer:
the publishers and owners of newspapers, magazines, books
and bookstores. They assume the role of the cultural philanthroper
most of the time. In their hands they hold the huge map
of cultural landscape which cloaks the lion-killing dagger hidden
in their palms. Before the moment of truth, the manner with
which they address the future of Chinese culture coupled with
the air of grave concern between their brows as they “throw” themselves to the tiger, no, the lion, well, it’s hard to believe
they are not cultural saviors. To hear them speak, their grand
mission would put UNESCO to shame. Their degree of concern
for your wellbeing implies that even your burial has been taken
care of. However, these big talkers are in the end small
spenders. Whenever talk turns to copyright or royalty, their
rhetoric takes a sudden turn. They implore you, just for the time
being, to compromise a little for the sake of the entire future of
Chinese culture. It is as if your refusal alone will result in the
demise of the grand mission and your acquiescence will guarantee
the immediate renaissance of the Chinese civilization. In the
end, “just for the time being” inevitably becomes “always.” You
need to study this kind of cultural jargon carefully in advance in
order to avoid grave misunderstanding. As soon as the copyright
leaves the writer’s hands, the original author is like a birth
mother who can only look on as a stepmother abuses her child.
Or you are like a divorced mother, helpless, as your ex-husband
forcefully takes your child away from you. Once, a famous
writer who sold the rights of his voluminous, 300,000-word
masterpiece to a publisher sorrowfully told me, “I’ve managed
to get alimony but whether it is going to be paid to me on time,
only heaven knows!”
Luckily the divorced ex-wife is rumored to be a tough
cookie who will not lie down and at least for now, die. But don’t
forget there are many talents to be found in the “Famous Writer
Murder Squad” and soon, they will be playing their third trump
card: the arts and culture advocate. Here is someone who is genuinely
fond of outdoor sports, particularly group activities such
as hide-and-seek. It really doesn’t matter if you’re of the same
mind or not, you’re invited to the game. Seeing that this kind of
group activity is known as “arts and culture” activity, you naturally cannot be without the writer. At these gatherings, you need
not be too surprised that there are even programs involving writers.
If editors and their bosses are out to hunt lions, then the
advocates’ interest is in toying with lions. Under these circumstances,
the advocate really starts to become the animal trainer
or circus owner. The powerful whip he holds in his hand is the
“meeting notice.” With the shadow of this whip lurking in the
literary world, which lion can help but feel intimidated? On the
upper left hand side of the envelope are the following words in
bold “Meeting Notice, Open Promptly.” You already know
what evil lies within but unless you are from another era, you are
compelled to put down whatever’s at hand and tear the letter
open promptly. As the time of the meeting draws nearer and
nearer,...
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