"A most valuable collection of writings and public statements by the Nobel laureate Gao Xingjian, whose independent voice calling for the supremacy of human creativity and the transcendental significance of art and literature deserves to be heard, especially in the present age of global crisis. Upon rereading these essays in this elegant English translation, I was deeply impressed by the clarity and clairvoyance of his vision that can be attained only after a lifetime’s dedication to the creative act across the entire range of transmedia genres." —Leo Ou-fan Lee, The Sin Wai Kin Professor Emeritus of Chinese Culture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
"Gao Xingjian, a writer, artist, thinker, and traveler, is among the most inspiring minds of our time. In this new collection of essays, he explores the boundaries of the humanities, ponders the terms of boundary-crossing, and offers his own discoveries and insights on the other side of boundaries. A Renaissance man in his own right, Gao offers a compelling manifesto for the New Renaissance in the post-pandemic age." —David Der-wei Wang, Edward C. Henderson Professor of Chinese Literature, Harvard University
"This book is a tour de force! It introduces English-language readers to the profound thoughts of one of the world’s most distinguished writers. In this book, Nobel laureate Gao Xingjian addresses pressing issues about literature, ideology, politics, environment, and the human and inhuman conditions of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Gao’s thinking matters now more than ever as we live in a time wrought with uncertainties and threats resulting from ideological conflicts, technological changes, and environmental catastrophes. Gao’s thoughts on literature and politics, together with his artworks, as Jianmei Liu so eloquently states in her foreword, 'have exemplified a personal renaissance in literature and art in a time besieged by commercial desires, political struggles, and spiritual destitution,' and this new renaissance represents a third space that exists outside the dualist thinking and goes beyond the 'either/or' dichotomies, 'achieving a Zhuangzian state of absolute spiritual freedom.' Gao’s literature and art, in their unique way, have upheld the individuation of literary writing and artistic creation at a pivotal time of history when sweeping changes are taking over literary and artistic production, now oriented toward the digital, the cybernetic, and the virtual. This book also showcases Gao’s masterful expressions of artistic freedom through breathtaking visual images, in forty-five of Gao’s paintings selected by Gao himself. This collection is one of a kind, with the verbal and visual parts interwoven in a rich, synergistic manner." — Mingwei Song, Professor of Chinese, Wellesley College
"Gao Xingjian’s call for a new Renaissance is like the 'sudden enlightenment' in Zen Buddhism. The present state of art and literature, according to him, needs a sudden jolt of awakening. He sees the threats, the dangers, and the imminent disaster of the destruction of beauty and humanity due to commodification and politicization. Writers and artists seldom comment on their own work, but Gao is the exception. He enjoys talking about his novels, plays, films, paintings, and photography. This makes him more accessible to students and scholars hoping to understand this wonderful writer and artist. Thus, the value of this collection of essays by Gao and interviews with him. Gao’s voice deserves to be heard, and this book provides the channel to further understand the workings of the mind of a Nobel prize winner.” —Gilbert Fong, Dean and Professor, School of Translation and Foreign Languages, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
