Storytelling the Yijing: Tales and Reflections on a Chinese Literature Machine

Date

2011-12-14

Advisors

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Taylor-Francis

Type

Article

Peer reviewed

Yes

Abstract

The Chinese Book of Changes, or Yijing, has not only had a central role in the theory and practice of literature in China, but has also had a wider influence on writers in the West. But why has this difficult book been so important to writers? Drawing upon both Chinese and Western literary theory, from Liu Xie to Calvino, this paper explores the possible reasons for the Yijing's astonishing productivity as a 'literature machine'. Finally, as a machine can only be understood by seeing it in operation, the paper concludes with the generation of three new stories that are themselves derived from the texts and commentaries of the Yijing.

Description

Keywords

creative writing, creativity, yijing, i ching, 易經, China, Liu Xie, 劉勰, Calvino

Citation

Buckingham, W. (2011) Storytelling the Yijing: Tales and Reflections on a Chinese Literature Machine. New Writing: The International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing. 9 (2), pp. 135-146

Rights

Research Institute