MCLC: Mueller says Mo Yan choice a 'catastrophe' (9)

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: yomi braeter <yomi at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Mueller says Mo Yan choice a 'catastrophe' (9)
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Michael Day and Magnus Fiskesjö are correct in calling me out on my
dismissal of Müller's point as "a view common among Rumanian émigrés."
Since I'm the son of Rumanian émigrés, Müller's rhetoric pushed a
sensitive button. Moreover, Mo Yan's recent remarks on censorship place
him very close to the CCP camp and seem to support Müller's and Liao's
view. Nevertheless, I think a distinction should be made.

Liao writes: "Consciously or not, you now share the CCP's view of Mo Yan,"
and continues to note that many Chinese people have died and been deprived
of freedom of speech and religion in multiple campaigns since 1949. All
very true. I also agree that in copying the Yan'an Talks (characterized by
Liao "proclaiming in effect the death of Chinese literature") Mo Yan has
compromised his integrity. But there's still a logical jump from here to
claiming that in awarding the prize to Mo Yan the Nobel committee made a
mistake and put itself in the CCP's camp.

I'm continuing to fan the embers because I find the discussion important
for our profession and am sincerely looking forward to hear others' view.

P.S. According to the report, Liao's letter to the academy was delivered
in English. I hope a copy of the original can be found on the Web.

Yomi Braester, University of Washington