US author Amy Tan visits Beijing in November to attend the US-ChinaForum on the Arts and Culture. Zou Hong / China Daily |
The latest offering from Amy Tan is a 42-page novella written from the perspective of acourtesan in 1912 Shanghai. Kelly Chung Dawson reports.
Amy Tan recently released her first published fiction in six years, the 42-page novella Rules forVirgins, written from the perspective of an aging courtesan in 1912 Shanghai. Addressed to anew courtesan, the story covers such worthwhile subjects as "avoiding cheapskates, false loveand suicide", the subtitle reads. The 42,000-word story was published by Byliner, a digitalpublisher, and is available for $2.99 from online outlets including Barnes and Noble, Amazonand the Apple iBook store.
"Amy Tan is an extraordinary writer and a global treasure and it's a great thrill to be launchingour new Byliner Fiction imprint with her remarkable story," says Mark Bryant, editorial directorand co-founder of Byliner.
Tan became interested in the subject after discovering an old photograph of her grandmother'scousin, dressed in the clothing popularized by courtesans of that era.
"At the time these women were comparable to the pop figures we have today, like Lady Gaga,"Tan says. "They were public figures who were in many ways envied for their knowledge ofwhat people wanted and the illusion that they were able to create. They were icons, and theyunderstood that if they wanted certain things, they could say, 'This is what I want, and this iswhat I need to get there'."
In the story, Tan describes the ornate clothing worn by courtesans, such as expensive silkthat's as "lustrous as a pearl", and "shocking Western details" like buttons and pleats.
"Women on the streets will envy and admire your clothes," she writes, in the voice of the agingcourtesan. "For many young girls, a glimpse of you will provide the greatest excitement of theirlives. It is annoying that rich girls imitate us, but it is also flattery. This will raise your status."
The courtesans who made the "top 10 beauties" list were not necessarily the most beautiful,Tan writes. "They are the ones who understand human nature, that of men and women both."
Indeed, the manipulation of human nature is at the core of Rules for Virgins.
"I think that what motivated me was the idea of the parts of these women that are really a partof all of us, and how much ego and envy play into our desires and our ability to manipulatesomebody," Tan says.
"These women could come up with illusion, selling romance, but at the same time often gotcaught in their own trap. Every man has a myth of himself and who he wants to be, and if awoman nurtures that, he won't let her go. When someone recognizes the myth of who we eachwant to be, we love that person because we love ourselves - but it's false love."
Tan researched the story through old novels, visited museum exhibitions and revisited tabloidnewspapers of the time (nicknamed the "mosquito press" for its buzzy coverage of society andscandal).
Her own mother was featured in the mosquito press when she had a "scandalous divorce", Tansays.
She recently spoke with film director Zhang Yimou about his latest film, The Flowers of War,which also spotlights the stories of Chinese courtesans.
"We talked about what it was like, we looked at the clothing and imagined this world," she says.
"In writing the story there was a lot of imagination having to do with the situation, of what wenton behind closed doors. But I also did research about the ointments and sex toys that mighthave been used, and learned about the popularity of male-looking courtesans.".........
Amy Tan returns with Rules for Virgins|Lifehttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2011-12/30/content_14354193.htm
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