The cross-cultural legacy of Lin Yutang : critical perspectives

"Lin Yutang (18951976) was the modern Chinese writer and intellectual best known to the Western world in the twentieth century. Hailed as a Chinese philosopher, Lin was the de facto spokesman for China and Chinese culture and played the role of cultural ambassador between China and the United States. This critical volume, representing the best international scholarship on Lin Yutang studies to date, is a first attempt at a comprehensive study on the cross-cultural legacy of Lins literary practices in and across China and America. The essays collected here, most of which were first presented at the international conference on the cross-cultural legacy of Lin Yutang in China and America held at the City University of Hong Kong in December 2011, offer different perspectives on Lins cross-cultural legacy." --publisher's website Cover Notes to this edition Title Page Copyright Page Contents Contributors Introduction. Western Universalism and Chinese Identity: Lin Yutang as a Cross-Cultural Critic - Qian Suoqiao PART I. TRADITION AND RELIGION: AN ALTERNATIVE INTELLECTUAL PATH 1. On Lin Yutang: Between Revolution and Nostalgia - Chih-ping Chou 2. Lin Yutang’s Unique Adoption of Tradition - Charles Laughlin 3. A Bundle of Contradictions: Lin Yutang’s Relationship to Christianity - Yang Liu PART II. LANGUAGE AND LAW: CULTURE AND POLITICS IN THE 1920s AND 1930s 4. Lin Yutang and the National Language Movement in Modern China - Peng Chunling (translated by Wang Lu and Fang Lu) 5. The “Fair Society” (Pingshe) in the Diaries of Lin Yutang and Hu Shi - Chen Zishan (translated by Richard Sheung) PART III. CROSS-CULTURAL TRAVELS BETWEEN CHINA AND THE WEST 6. Lin Yutang’s Criticism of Criticism of Criticism: On Self-Expression in China and America - Diran John Sohigian 7. Collaborator or Cannibal? Montaigne’s Role in Lin Yutang’s Importance of Living - Rivi Handler-Spitz 8. The Genesis and Reception of My Country and My People - Qian Suoqiao PART IV. INTERPRETING CHINA AND CHINESE IN AMERICA 9. His Country and His Language: Lin Yutang and the Interpretation of Things Chinese - Joe Sample 10. Reconstructing the Image of a Chinese Courtesan for Western Readers: Lin Yutang’s Miss Tu and His Cross-Cultural Rewriting Strategies - Fang Lu 11. The Several Worlds of Lin Yutang’s Gastronomy - Charles W. Hayford Index Western universalism and Chinese identity : Lin Yutang as a cross-cultural critic -- Qian Suoqiao On Lin Yutang: between revolution and nostalgia -- Chih-ping Chou Lin Yutang's unique adoption of tradition -- Charles Laughlin A bundle of contradictions: Lin Yutang's relationship to Christianity -- Yang Liu Lin Yutang and the national language movement in Modern China -- Peng Chunling The "Fair Society" (Pingshe) in the diaries of Lin Yutang and Hu Shi -- Chen Zishan Lin Yutang's criticism of criticism of criticism: on self-expression in China and America -- Diran John Sohigian Collaborator of cannibal? Montaigne's role in Lin Yutang's Importance of Living -- Rivi Handler-Spitz The genesis and reception of My Country and My People -- Qian Suoqiao His country and his language: Lin Yutang and the interpretation of things Chinese -- Joe Sample Reconstructing the image of a Chinese courtesan for Western readers: Lin Yutang's Miss Tu and his cross-cultural rewriting strategies -- Fang Lu The several worlds of Lin Yutang's gastronomy -- Charles W. Hayford.