MCLC: Liao Yiwu in Taipei

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: Martin Winter <dujuan99 at gmail.com>
Subject: Liao Yiwu in Taipei
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I went to a great reading/ concert/ political happening by Liao Yiwu in
Taipei tonight. It was organized by Wang Dan's New School for Democracy.
First time Liao performed his legendary poem Massacre from the night
before June 4th, 1989 in public for a Chinese-speaking audience. Very
memorable experience. People wept and remembered the White Terror and
the Feb. 28, 1947 massacre in Taiwan. The case of Zhu Yufu, who got 7
years for a poem in China, was mentioned several times. Liao Yiwu was
asked for his opinions about the controversy around the boss of the Want
Want conglomerate and media czar (China Times etc.) who recenty denied
there was a major massacre in 1989. Liao Yiwu reaffirmed the answer he
had given at Taipei International Book Fair. He just said he wasn't very
interested what some merchant would have to say. They would say anything
to please Beijing, and unfortunately they would get away with it very
easily. Liao was also very critical of the book fair. Glossy and
haphazard in many ways, that was his impression. No dignity for authors,
no thorough organisation of readings. Well, I must say I liked all the
events I saw or participated in. The show girls and the people walking
around advertising discounts did not give the impression of a very
cultured event, rather like some market selling everything aside from
books, just like Liao said. But they certainly did have some well
organized readings, and international highlights in French and German,
for example. Anyway, Liao Yiwu's performance tonight was a very
exceptional event. I think they recorded it, and I heard it was
broadcasted live on the Internet. Don't know where exactly. Liao was
asked what he thought about the relation of literature and politics. He
spoke about reading Orwell's 1984 in jail, and talked about the parts
leading up to the end of the novel, how Winston is broken with the use
of a rat and made to rat out his girlfriend, and how he loves Big
as he is taken away to be shot. Perfect example for his own
aesthetics, Liao said. He still supports people doing 'pure literature',
goes to poetry readings about the Full Moon Sound Magazine
(http://fullmoonsoundmagazine.tumblr.com/) and stuff like that. He was
not interested in politics until 1989, he said.  The Hakka songstress
Luo Sirong sung a very poignant lullaby at the end. This part would not
have been forbidden in China. Liao's performance was so intense it made
you wary of police barging in. But the most precious thing was the whole
event together, the songs and the music, the talks and discussions. The
strong interaction made it all very special and rare.

Martin