Anecdote, Network, Gossip, Performance: Essays on the Shishuo xinyu

295 Pages·2021·9.457 MB·English

by  Jack W. Chen

Anecdote, Network, Gossip, Performance
Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 124

Anecdote, Network, Gossip, Performance
Essays on the Shishuo xinyu
Jack W. Chen
Published by the Harvard University Asia Center
Distributed by Harvard University Press
Cambridge (Massachusetts) and London 2021
© 2021 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College
Printed in the United States of America
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Chen, Jack Wei, author.
Title: Anecdote, network, gossip, performance : essays on the Shishuo xinyu
/ Jack W Chen.
Other titles: Essays on the Shishuo xinyu
Description: Cambridge : Harvard University Asia Center, 2021. |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2020039719 | ISBN 9780674251175 (hardcover)
Subjects: LCSH: Liu, Yiqing, 403–444. Shi shuo xin yu. |
Anecdotes—China—History and criticism.
Classification: LCC PL2666.L55 Z465 2021 | DDC 895.1/324—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020039719
Index by the author
Printed on acid-free paper
Last figure below indicates year of this printing
28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21
To my teacher,
Stephen Owen

Contents
List of Illustrations ix
A Prefatory Note and Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
The Title of the Text 4 / The Structure and Composition
of the Text 5 / Anecdote and History 9 / Individualism and
Typology 12 / The Shishuo and “Pure Conversation” 14 /
Overview of Chapters 18
1 A Textual History of the Shishuo xinyu 21
The Shi Jingyin and Liu Xiaobiao Commentaries 22 / Liu
Yiqing’s Biography 23 / The Shishuo in the Bibliographic
Treatises of the Official Histories 25 / The Shishuo in the
Tang Dynasty 27 / The Shishuo in Song Dynasty Encyclo­
pedias and Bibliographic Writings 31 / Wang Zao 汪藻
(1079–1154) on the Shishuo 37 / The Dong Fen, Lu You,
and Yuan Jiong Editions 45 / Modern Editions of the
Shishuo 50 / Conclusion: On Medieval Textuality 56
2 On Social Networks 59
The Shishuo as Network 62 / Six Degrees of Separation, or
a Walk through the Network 74 / First Degree: Xu Zhi and
Chen Fan 77 / Second Degree: Chen Fan, Li Ying, and Cai
Yong 80 / Third Degree: Cai Yong, Sun Chuo, and Wang
Xizhi 83 / Fourth Degree: Wang Xizhi and Xie An 84 / Fifth
Degree: Xie An, Wang Xianzhi, Liu Jin, and Huan Xuan 86 /
Sixth Degree: Huan Xuan, Huan Xiu, and Madame Yu 87 /
Conclusion: Network and Anecdote 88
viii Contents
3 On Gossip and Reputation 90
Defining Gossip and Reputation 91 / Gossip and Anecdote:
Four Stories about Hua Xin 96 / Knowing Others and Being
Known: Chu Pou’s Silence 107 / The Mingshi or “Gentlemen
of Repute” 115 / Conclusion: The Anxiety of the Second-
Rate 121
4 On Performance, Praise, and Insult 123
On Praise and Appraisal 125 / The Politics of Praise 128 /
Virtuosity, Aptness, and Inadequacy 132 / Theories of
Insult 138 / Taking Liberties with Pronouns 141 / Three
Stories about Sun Chuo 147 / Unintended Offense 151 /
Conclusion: The Economy of Reputation 155
5 On Competition and Composure 159
Three Stories about Zhong Hui 160 / Conversation as Social
Competition 166 / The Aesthetics of Composure 172 /
Xie An: Calling Back the Recluse 180 / Xie An Keeps
His Cool 183 / Conclusion: Wang Dun Goes to the
Bathroom 188
6 On Ritual and Mourning 191
Mourning and Sincerity in the Li ji 193 / The Sincerity
of Mourning 200 / Friendship and Mourning 209 /
A Coda 216
Conclusion: The View from across the River 220
Appendix: Persons Appearing in the Shishuo xinyu 235
Bibliography 241
Index 267
Illustrations
Chapter 2
Digital versions of the graphs in chapter 2 are available online at
https://asiacenter.harvard.edu/publications.
1. Shishuo person-to-person network graph 63
2. Top left detail, person-to-person network graph 65
3. Middle left detail, person-to-person network graph 67
4. Bottom left detail, person-to-person network graph 68
5. Bottom right detail, person-to-person network graph 70
6. Middle right detail, person-to-person network graph 71
7. Top right detail, person-to-person network graph 73