Yu Hua in 10 Questions: The Chinese Author Talks Writing, Mortuaries and Sleep

His novels, To Live and Brothers, were celebrated by Chinese readers. Then, when Zhang Yimou adapted To Live into a film starring Gong Li and Ge You, Yu Hua's work gained international recognition. With his first major nonfiction work, China in Ten Words, his penchant for storytelling brings to light so much that's funny, poignant, infuriating and beautiful about modern China. If you find yourself constantly at a loss for how to understand and articulate the insanity you're experiencing here, reading his latest will surely hit the spot. In the meantime, Yu Hua was kind enough to answer some of our questions in advance of his sold out talks at The Bookworm International Literary Festival:

What's been your biggest breakthrough?
The best breakthrough an author can have is to forget his previous successes. Each time he sits down to write, he should imagine himself a novice again.

Was there a time you felt like giving up? Why? How did you get past it?
I’ve never considered giving up. Before becoming a writer, I was a dentist, spending all my days staring into people’s open mouths. Unhealthy mouths, too – healthy mouths wouldn’t come to the dentist. Maybe there’s a better job than being a writer, but I wouldn’t know. All I know is being a writer is better than being a dentist.

In China in Ten Words, you confess to faking stomach pains to avoid your father’s anger. Do you still do that?
No, there’s really no need anymore. But sometimes when my son complains his stomach hurts, I suspect he’s faking it …

You also describe finding peace and quiet on a cool burial stone in your hometown. Where can you experience that now?
Actually, it was the cement bed of a mortuary. That kind of quiet was a thing of the past. Beijing now is so rowdy. Even its mortuaries.

What sparked your idea for China in Ten Words?
When I toured the States to publicize the English version of my novel, Brothers, Allan Barr (who translated that novel) invited me to speak at Pomona College. As I prepared two stories titled “People” and “Leader,” I realized there was a book in this. On our way to the beach in Los Angeles, I officially decided I’d write it and Allan gleefully agreed to translate it.

Of the Ten Words you write about, what are the ones most personal to you? Which ones did you pick first, and which ones did you decide on later?
As I just mentioned, the first two were “People” and “Leader.” Both of those were really important to me, along with “Reading.” I was extremely happy the whole time I was writing that one. When I finished, I sent it to some friends, and asked them to tell me if they read it without laughing. It seems they all laughed from beginning to end. The inspiration for “Writing” came from my friend Pankaj Mishra, who had just traveled to Beijing. We shared a lot of stories about writing. “Lu Xun” is very important to China. I talk about how it went from an author’s name to political vocabulary and back again. “Revolution,” “Disparity” and “Grassroots” allowed me to closely connect the Cultural Revolution with modern China, and “Bamboozle” and “Copycat” allowed me to capture all that is bizarre and fantastic about China today.

How are people responding to the stark honesty about China in your book?
My attitude about writing has always been about honesty, whether in my novels or this nonfiction book. I love my country. If some have said that my work has a spirit of unyielding criticism, then I’d say this criticism arises out of my love for the country, not from anywhere else.

The stories from your childhood are the best. Can you share more with us?
Back then my friends and I would often leave our little town and walk along the beach to the public road, where we’d wait for hours and hours, then jump and holler when a big truck passed. We’d chase those trucks and take deep breaths from the exhaust – we thought it smelled so sweet.

What’s your writing routine?
As long as I’m well fed and well-slept, then I can write. But these days, the former’s easier than the latter. Lately, I always feel like I’m missing just one hour of sleep from the night before, so before I write I lie down and try to get it back. Inevitably, the day will pass without me getting that hour back or writing anything. I haven’t been very productive …

If you could go back and give your pre-published self three pieces of advice, what would they be?
Just one: Don’t be a dentist, be a writer.

Yu Hua shares more than ten words at The Bookworm on Mar 11 & 14. His events are sold out, but get yourselves on the waiting list or pick up a copy of his book at The Bookworm.

Click here to see the March issue of the Beijinger in full.

Photo courtesy of the organizers