[International] Central European Reading Month: Liu Tzu-chieh Discusses Literature's Role in Challenging Taboos
bellala 央廣9h ago
The Polish segment of the Central European "Writers' Reading Month" is drawing to a close, with the Taiwanese literary wave extending to Cieszyn, a twin city on the Czech-Polish border. On the evening of the 20th, author Liu Tzu-chieh took the stage to read, sharing the behind-the-scenes stories of her works "Seven Funerals After Father" and "Dear Children" with Central European readers. Her humorous and insightful answers about Taiwanese perspectives on life and death, intricate folk customs, and sexual taboos were met with continuous laughter.
Liu Tzu-chieh read selected excerpts from her novel "Dear Children" and her acclaimed essay "Seven Funerals After Father." The former has already been translated and published in Poland, while a trailer for the film adaptation of the latter was shown after the reading, using visual imagery to instantly transport European readers into the bustling scene of a traditional Taiwanese funeral.
Regarding the open attitude towards "sex" in "Dear Children," an audience member asked if sex remains a taboo in Chinese literature. Liu Tzu-chieh firmly replied, "Writers should challenge. Only when writers write will readers know what can be written."
She also explained that when dealing with more controversial subjects, writers have clear narrative intentions and use humor and satire to break down the sense of taboo, allowing readers to cross cultural barriers with a knowing smile.
Discussing her views on childbirth and marriage in her books, Liu Tzu-chieh shared that many capable Taiwanese women in their early thirties today desire to have children even if they choose not to marry. This is a significant departure from the traditional mindset decades ago, where women were tools for procreation, or even had to "keep having children until a son is born."
Furthermore, regarding the recurring characters of "mediums" in her novels, Liu Tzu-chieh explained that mediums can see things that ordinary people cannot, representing "the boundary between the virtual and the real," much like the essence of novel writing, which starts from real emotions and enters fictional stories.
She also humorously introduced Taiwan's unique "Jiaobei" (divination blocks) culture, explaining it as a way for ordinary people to communicate with deities.
When discussing "Seven Funerals After Father," Liu Tzu-chieh confirmed that the work originated from her real experience of accompanying her father on his final journey. She recalled being immensely shocked by the complex traditional funeral rituals when she returned to her hometown after a 10-year absence, which prompted her to document it day by day.
She offered an explanation for the complexity of traditional Taiwanese funerals, suggesting one reason is to prevent the living from excessive grief due to their busyness, and another is to use the rituals to reunite scattered family members and provide mutual support.
An audience member also noticed the detail in the "Seven Funerals After Father" reading excerpt about a funeral staff's tape recorder playing "Amitabha on one side and Hallelujah on the other," and asked if Taiwan is truly that open to religion. Liu Tzu-chieh chuckled, saying that the tolerance and adaptability of Taiwanese people towards religion even impress her.
She cited an example of a Catholic friend who, after holding her father's funeral at the church, secretly burned paper money with relatives out of concern that her father would have no money in heaven, demonstrating a "Taiwanese-style thoughtfulness" that transcends boundaries.
The Central European Reading Month will conclude on the evening of the 22nd in Cieszyn, with author Ping Lu taking the stage to read, piecing together a diverse and vibrant portrait of contemporary Taiwanese literature for the Central European audience. (Editor: Liu Hsiang-hua)
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=215829
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