Ke Shulin: Poetry and Prejudice
[Introduction]
In 2020, the UNHCR organized the first poetry competition for university students in China. Themed "Going Home", the competition encouraged university students to compose creative works around the global displacement issue in the context of the outbreak of the epidemic. Among the hundreds of entries submitted by participants from 80 universities at home and abroad, Ke Shulin's work stood out as one of the ten winning entries.
[The competition]
The year 2020 was far from being ordinary for many people, as well as Ke Shulin. The sudden outbreak of the epidemic impelled him to examine himself from a new perspective. "There is a phase in life where people feel like breaking free from their old self," he says, laughing, "but then again, breaking free is not for free. It is called 'karma'. " This transition has left him with a youth crisis experience, and a feeling that his life is in need of an overhaul - a spiritual one.
The competition is themed "Going Home". Unlike the Daydream Shock Award organized by the Dilun Poetry Society in the University, this competition is special in itself. "Simply put, it is not an art for the sake of art - If it were any other literary prize then it might be. But this one is different," Ke commented.
"There was this serious refugee crisis coupled with the epidemic, at the time when it was almost winter." He also noticed some information from the UNHCR: people in places like Syria were unable to survive the winter. "People living in privileged conditions may not have any idea of what these people are going through on the other side of the world," Ke said.
With such empathy, he saw the responsibility he ought to show in literary creation. " On the one hand, the author shouldn't be speaking to himself - although certainly literature is meant to do that", but he also believes that, "intellectuals are not only to do what interests them but also to have a sense of responsibility. " Ke Shulin talked about Albert Camus: "Camus may be considered as an example. If you look at some of his works, there are many discussions on various urgent and critical issues in humans' existence. As an intellectual, you should have such a sense of responsibility, that is, not to make art for the sake of art just to escape from life. And that is the meaning of this competition."
During the period of the epidemic emerged a batch of pertinent poems. On these poems, he commented: "Even though many of these poems merely express a personal feeling rather than consciously taking on a responsibility, yet they are also taking on responsibility when they express personal feelings. Because works of art could carry personal emotions and translate them into universal values."
On the issue of refugees, he was also aware of an alternative perspective: What is the point of making art if people could just go for more direct and effective acts, such as contributing money and effort? Drawing on Picasso's Guernica, Ke Shulin expressed his thoughts on the competition: Picasso could be righteously indignant about Guernica even though he was not physically present at the place. Guernica as an artwork has indeed raised people’s awareness by touring around the world. This competition pursues the same - it is the responsibility of artworks to have an impact and to draw attention to the pressing issues around the world.
The contest was over, and what was left was a bit of a follow-up promotion. As a contestant, he wasn't sure how much of an impact this would have by the end of the day, but he was confident that it would still make some difference.
Perhaps it is the endless imputations on the refugee issue that made Ke Shulin reluctant to turn his attention to the diplomacies anymore. He argued that every party should contribute as much as it could. This coincides with the concept of this event, incorporating an examination of the present, a yearning for peace, and compassion for others, as well as a vision of the common destiny of humanity.
In fact, the award was somewhat dramatic for Ke Shulin. The work, which was completed right before the deadline, turned out to be the entry that won him the award. After this, he expressed his contemplation on inspiration and effort.
On the one hand, Ke affirmed the importance of continuous effort in the creative process: "Sometimes you just have to keep revising. It doesn't matter if the work ends up being a good piece or not, the effort in the process is necessary. Oftentimes, a creator's growth is not done in some one-shot work, rather, it is done in revisions." He trusts the process and believes that skills can be acquired through the experience of failure.
Nevertheless, in the field of art, inspiration still plays a unique role. But like a novelist when writing, he felt that the author could have the plot in mind, but at the same time allow the characters to break free from their previous constraints and let the plot flow. Between the extremely regular writing routines and the extremely spontaneous ones, he thought that most people fall somewhere in between. "A lot of times, creators need to have faith in the mystery." he replied cryptically, "and of course one cannot solely depend on inspirations. Sometimes you just need to keep a balance."
[Creating Poetry]
On how his writing began, he remarked, "There's a line between a creator and a reader. Interestingly, some people would never cross that line for the rest of their lives. Too many people settle for just being a listener. "Now, being at the other side of the line, he recalled, "For reading, when you are content with settling, or when you feel your ability is limited only to be a reader, you are actually still somewhat different from the creator."
When readers evaluate poets, more often than not they only see the peak and glory of their creations, but fail to see the long way they came. In Ke Shulin's eyes, creation is like traveling on the spiritual map. "These journeys taken in the mind do not necessarily manifest themselves at the end; the various twists and turns you go through maybe unknown to others." It took a long time and countless setbacks for the poet to present such a short, concise and beautiful work. The hardships of the journey are often unknown to the reader, as they see more of the destination of the journey.
Ke believes that there is a lot of room for romanticization in poetry. Regarding writing, he always sees it with a normal heart. He analogized it to Buddhist enlightenment: "To some people, the process seems unbelievable. But in fact, it is very normal and happens naturally. " De-romanticizing the matter of creation is a kind of encouragement to novice creators. "What you feel as if it's profound can sometimes be accomplished in a very simple process. You don't necessarily have to sit in a cafe. It might just be done in a dorm room or various other places. "
The identity of a poet did not bring much drama to the life of him as a student. You don't see any pretentiousness in him. Ke Shulin shared that, as he got to know himself better, he stopped emphasizing the uniqueness of writing. Just like practicing the piano, eating, taking walks, and participating in club activities, writing poems doesn't seem so sacred - but of course, the cause is still worthy of wholehearted devotion.
"In fact, every person is a river of experience and perception. It flows." In such an age of labeling, people are more than happy to label themselves. But Ke Shulin doesn't want to define himself yet, "There's a Buddhist concept called Ksana, which means that a lot changes actually happen in a very short period of time," he explains, referencing another Buddhist term, "I may not be so rigid with regard to what I must be and what I must do. Sometimes reflections can be done, but sometimes it can be a kind of hindrance to you."
[In the Poetry Society]
Ke Shulin is a member of the Dilun Poetry Society. He believed that it was the diversity of creators in the poetry society that inspired him. The poetry society, where all kinds of poems collide, also offers a platform for poets of all genres to communicate.
"Electronics and media stuff people's lives. Technology, information, culture, entertainment - people fill up every corner of their lives with these things. In fact, these things obstruct the communication between individuals as well as the individuals' own knowledge of themselves." The existence of the poetry society restores communication among people. "Clubs are all about providing an opportunity for like-minded people to communicate. At first, we appreciate each other because of the similarities, but then, after we get to know each other, we learn to appreciate and even accept each other's differences." For Ke Shulin, the poetry society is a cherished space in the "cyber life".
Interviewer: Hu Xiyun / 2018 HSS Shaw College