Comments on: The Perils of Writing About China http://mattschiavenza.com/2009/11/08/the-perils-of-writing-about-china/ From the Dragon to the Apple- A Sinophile in New York Tue, 22 May 2012 15:03:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Thomas Talhelm http://mattschiavenza.com/2009/11/08/the-perils-of-writing-about-china/comment-page-1/#comment-90147 Thomas Talhelm Sun, 13 Dec 2009 04:31:53 +0000 http://mattschiavenza.com/?p=678#comment-90147 That's an interesting way to see writing. I suppose a lot of music can be that way too. Anyone who can noodle around on a guitar can play the same basic chords of scores of successful songs. So it's easy to get jealous and angry, thinking, "Hey! I could've written that song. This guy's a chump." Usually nothing could be farther from the truth. Don't people say the best sports stars make it look easy too? That’s an interesting way to see writing. I suppose a lot of music can be that way too. Anyone who can noodle around on a guitar can play the same basic chords of scores of successful songs. So it’s easy to get jealous and angry, thinking, “Hey! I could’ve written that song. This guy’s a chump.” Usually nothing could be farther from the truth.

Don’t people say the best sports stars make it look easy too?

]]> By: William Box http://mattschiavenza.com/2009/11/08/the-perils-of-writing-about-china/comment-page-1/#comment-86145 William Box Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:26:28 +0000 http://mattschiavenza.com/?p=678#comment-86145 Writing is hard. Deceptively so. At first glance, River Town seems to be a fairly mundane rendition of one man's life in a small Chinese town." This is the number reason more people DON'T write books. Good writers, and in my opinion, there are not too many left - no one wants to spend the time to learn the craft. Good writers make writing seem so easy. Writing is hard. Deceptively so. At first glance, River Town seems to be a fairly mundane rendition of one man’s life in a small Chinese town.”

This is the number reason more people DON’T write books. Good writers, and in my opinion, there are not too many left – no one wants to spend the time to learn the craft.

Good writers make writing seem so easy.

]]> By: Ben Ross http://mattschiavenza.com/2009/11/08/the-perils-of-writing-about-china/comment-page-1/#comment-84143 Ben Ross Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:04:11 +0000 http://mattschiavenza.com/?p=678#comment-84143 Went back and read both the original post and Peter Hessler's full reply. I am a fan of River Town. I think the beauty of the book is that everybody who goes to China and has an experience like Hessler's says "yeah, I could write a book like that." The difference, as Hessler subtly indicates, is that he actually has the writing chops to do it. It is kind of nice to have a be all end all book out there on the topic, because the narrative of "I went to China and taught English" in and of itself, just isn't sexy any more. Hopefully, Hessler's book encourages people to go out and search for new angles to push the literature in new directions. Went back and read both the original post and Peter Hessler’s full reply. I am a fan of River Town. I think the beauty of the book is that everybody who goes to China and has an experience like Hessler’s says “yeah, I could write a book like that.” The difference, as Hessler subtly indicates, is that he actually has the writing chops to do it. It is kind of nice to have a be all end all book out there on the topic, because the narrative of “I went to China and taught English” in and of itself, just isn’t sexy any more. Hopefully, Hessler’s book encourages people to go out and search for new angles to push the literature in new directions.

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