‘I felt that in action and in lore, one and all were far above me; that in spite of the majesty of my manliness, I could not, in point of fact, compare with these characters of the gentle sex’

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As this show draws only ten episodes short of its ascent to heavenly hiatus, let us call down from those lofty vapours a sad and beautiful tale, a story of a stone, The Dream of the Red Chamber. Musing with me in the aristocratic compound is another host: Annie Qu, a genuine Bilibili literati. Much like Cao Xueqin, I considered myself lucky to be in the presence of such a refined lady, as we discussed the continuing relevance of this classic of classics to ideas concerning high culture, gender norms, and all the frivolous imaginings we spend our brief lives upon.

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// NEWS ITEMS //

Zijin Chen’s Bad Kids, translated by Michelle Deeter, gets a shortlist spot
Lu Xun short story Kong Yiji cited in PRC education/employment discussions
Watch: Jing Tsu’s Asia society talk on Kingdom of Characters

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// WORD OF THE DAY //

(美 – měi – beauty/aesthetics)

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// MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE //

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
Xianqing Ou Ji and The Importance of Living
Family by Ba Jin
the final 40 chapters controversy
Qing/Qi/Shu Hua: the four arts

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// Handy TrChFic Links //

Help Support TrChFic // Episode Transcripts

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