false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174477440m/405503.jpg 405503 1 <P>Extremely short stories-known as short-shorts-have become a global phenomenon, but nowhere have they been embraced as enthusiastically as in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The form's artistic and aesthetic freedoms allow authors to capture the tone, texture, and chaos of their rapidly changing societies in infinitely inventive ways. Fragments and contingencies reveal unofficial histories, undocumented memories, and the trials of everyday individuals, and the genre's lean format is a welcome antidote to a culture characterized by rampant excess.</P><P> <I>Loud Sparrows</I> is a spirited collection of ninety-one short-shorts written by Chinese authors over the past three decades. Presenting diverse voices and perspectives by writers both well known and new to the art, the stories are culled from newspapers, magazines, literary journals, and personal collections. Their subjects range from the mundane to the sublime and illuminate everything from humanist ideals to traditional virtues to the material benefits of a commercialized society. The anthology is organized into thematic categories such as Change, Creatures, (In)fidelities, Grooming, Governance, Nourishment, and Weirdness, and includes notes to better understand the genre. Each section is introduced by an original piece of flash fiction written by Howard Goldblatt.</P><P>The short-short, to borrow a Chinese saying, is "small as a sparrow but has all the vital organs" of a good story. <I>Loud Sparrows</I> offers a comprehensive introduction to a unique literary genre that has revolutionized world literature.</P> 394853 2006 Loud Sparrows: Contemporary Chinese Short-shorts (Weatherhead Books on Asia) total:4|5:2|4:2| 4 18 13 3 5 1 false false Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Mar 15 07:02:33 -0700 2008 Mon May 05 19:16:45 -0700 2008 --Zhong Lin...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Dec 12 11:57:39 -0800 2007 Mon Dec 17 11:20:01 -0800 2007
All of the poems in this anthology are short, so it's perfect for the procrastinator.]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jul 26 07:13:18 -0700 2007 Thu Jul 26 07:14:35 -0700 2007 5 0 false false Thu Jul 09 11:27:40 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 09 11:27:40 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Apr 07 08:44:44 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 07 08:44:47 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Feb 27 13:10:39 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 27 13:10:39 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Aug 14 13:55:09 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 14 13:55:17 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Fri May 30 22:11:27 -0700 2008 Fri May 30 22:11:27 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Tue Apr 22 07:00:24 -0700 2008 Tue Apr 22 07:00:33 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Mon Mar 31 05:33:48 -0700 2008 Mon Mar 31 05:34:20 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Sun Feb 24 22:51:29 -0800 2008 Fri Aug 01 20:16:50 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Sun Feb 24 17:58:20 -0800 2008 Sun Feb 24 17:58:28 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Wed Mar 21 04:44:10 -0700 2007 Wed Mar 21 04:44:10 -0700 2007 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=405503