China’s Internet Literature

China’s Internet Literature: From “Live-Scene” Poetry to Million-Character Narratives is the special feature in the newest issue of Chinese Literature Today. Editor Jonathan Stalling writes: “While the Internet has radically changed communication in the modern world, one could argue that China’s 289 million online readers are making China the epicenter of the global literary transformation. CLT now delves into this rapidly expanding literary space through the work of leading scholars in the field. Heather Inwood explores how the democratization of publishing poetry online – challenging, or even passing the traditional gatekeepers – has affected, and in some cases, improved the overall quality of poetry in China. Haiqing Yu reveals how short Internet spoof videos called e’gao parody a variety of cultural subjects, from blockbuster films to pop stars, to more serious public figures, leading many to assert that e’gao videos have become an important new form of social engagement. Angie Chau offers readers a front-row seat at the intersection of public intellectual discourse and Internet fame in the case of Internet literature phenomenon Han Han.”