Chapter 521: Busy before returning home
The Paris Review's writer interviews are different from general journalist interviews. They are not one-off interviews, nor are they conducted to coincide with the publication of a new book by the writer. Instead, they are interviews that may last for several months or even across the year.
During this period, editors and reporters of The Paris Review visited the interviewees many times.
Long-term and frequent visits will deepen the familiarity between the writer and the visitor, and they will naturally extend the depth of discussion and communication during the communication process.
Everyone shared their writing habits, methods, the confusions they faced when writing, and various literary secrets...
The selected content naturally becomes interesting and has important documentary value, and even has a certain legendary color.
The first visit from The Paris Review came three days after Roger Strauss’s call, and the interviewer was Christian Salmon, a senior editor at The Paris Review and also a journalist.
After a brief chat, Christian Salmon did not rush into the interview, but instead talked to Lin Weimin about life in the United States.
“You’re not like most writers.”
Christian Salmon looked around the apartment's decor as he spoke.
Lin Weimin smiled and said, "It seems that writers should not be too rich. But don't get me wrong, this is just a rented apartment."
"But I checked the sales of your works in the United States. The income from this alone is enough for you to live a life that most people dream of."
Lin Weimin nodded. "To be precise, I have never lacked money since I started writing. Even when I was in China, my works were very popular. Of course, publishing works in China definitely doesn't make as much money as in the United States!"
Christian Salmon couldn't help laughing when listening to Lin Weimin's words, "You seem to be very proud of the fact that your work is a bestseller?"
“Shouldn’t I be proud? It should be the dream of every writer to have his or her works sell well and have more people reading them,” Lin Weimin said generously.
"Maybe everyone has gotten used to the dismal sales of serious literature over the years, so when a special case like you suddenly appears, they are a little uncomfortable."
The two were chatting casually, and Christian Salmon noticed a half-opened book on the coffee table. He glanced at the cover, "Eleven Kinds of Loneliness".
"I found this at a second-hand bookstore a while ago."
"Richard Yates, do you like him?"
Lin Weimin nodded. “It’s hard not to like such an excellent writer as him.”
"Come to think of it, the sales of your works seem to be at two extremes."
“My style is more flattering, like Joseph Heller.”
Christian Salmon laughed when Lin Weimin said this. He noticed the little thoughts behind Lin Weimin's words. Lin Weimin was a man who understood humor and self-deprecation.
Joseph Heller's "Catch-22" and Richard Yates's "Revolutionary Road" happened to be rivals for the award.
"I saw your interview in The New Yorker, and you mentioned Richard Yates in that interview, and it seems that you really like him."
"I just hope that some readers can discover the value of Richard Yates, and even better, buy a few more of his books. Such an excellent writer should not be treated like this." Lin Weimin said with some regret.
"Is this an editor's instinct?" Christian Salmon knew that Lin Weimin was also an editor.
"You can say that." Lin Weimin nodded.
"I was surprised when I saw your information. Not only are you a writer, but you are also the editor-in-chief of China's largest literary magazine. How did you do that?"
…
There was no sense of ceremony in the interview, it was just like a chat with friends. The atmosphere was very comfortable and we said a lot without realizing it.
Almost the entire day passed in such conversation.
As night fell, Christian Salmon asked Lin Weimin if he had any manuscripts with him. Photographing writers' manuscripts is a tradition of "Writer Interviews".
Lin Weimin took out the English version of "The Hunt" that he was writing, and Christian Salmon looked surprised.
“You write in English?”
"Not often. English is not my native language after all. This novel actually already has a Chinese version. Mr. Roger Strauss's FSG Publishing House is going to publish this work. I plan to write it out first and let them have a look. It will probably need translation and polishing in the future."
Christian Salmon glanced at the contents of the manuscript and praised: "I would not be surprised if English is your native language. It seems that I still don't know you well enough. I will read all your novels during this period."
"Thank you, you contributed another sales to me."
Christian Salmon smiled at Lin Weimin, took a few photos of the manuscript, and said with some regret: "The English version of the manuscript is not so good. It seems that I should apply to go to China to see your Chinese manuscripts, especially your lost manuscript. Is it collected in Hong Kong?"
"That's right."
"How interesting! Oh, and the editorial office where you work, I like the atmosphere there, I must go and take a look."
"welcome!"
The time span of the writer interview is very long and the interview location is not limited. Christian Salmon is not exaggerating when he says he is going to China to visit Lin Weimin.
"Looking forward to your coming. But the key is that I have to go back to China first." Lin Weimin joked.
Christian Salmon laughed.
At the end of the interview, Christian Salmon confirmed Lin Weimin's itinerary.
It is now the end of June. In the next half month, Lin Weimin will accept two exclusive interviews arranged by Random House, a speech, and more than ten book signing events and reader meetings held in several major cities in the United States, and then return to China.
Christian Salmon planned to interview Lin Weimin once on his way to a book signing event, and then again when he went to China. After three exchanges, the interview with the writer would be over.
After seeing Christian Salmon off, Lin Weimin officially started the itinerary arranged for him by Random House.
Compared with the interviews with writers for The Paris Review arranged by Roger Strauss, the interviews arranged by Random House had a much stronger commercial atmosphere. The media conducting the interviews was The New York Times, which also highlighted the different styles of the two.
After the interview, Lin Weimin was invited to give a speech at Columbia University and then attended book signings in two bookstores in New York.
After the book signing event in New York, Lin Weimin boarded a plane. In the next few days, Lin Weimin will travel to several cities including Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles to attend book signing events and reader meetings.
In Chicago, Lin Weimin was interviewed by the Chicago Tribune.
The next stop after Chicago was Kansas. There was only one book signing event at this stop. Logically speaking, Kansas was not a city that would host a book signing event. This itinerary was something Lin Weimin specifically requested from Random House.
On the day of the book signing, there were not many readers coming to the bookstore, about forty or fifty people. The reader meeting and book signing took less than two hours.
"Old Ma!" Lin Weimin opened his arms and hugged Mark Meng who had been waiting for a long time.
Mark Meng was a little excited. The two had just met at a book signing event, but they didn't talk. He just waited by the side.
"Lin, I finally see you again, my friend!"
"We meet again!"
The two patted each other on the back, calmed down their excitement of meeting again after a long separation, and talked about the changes in the past few years.
Lin Weimin pulled Tao Huimin over and introduced her to Mark Meng. Mark Meng said, "It's a pity that I couldn't attend your wedding!"
"It's great to meet now. We are on our honeymoon." Lin Weimin said with a smile.
Mark Meng now lives in Kansas City and works as a university teacher. The last time Lin Weimin came to the United States, he drove all the way to New York to meet him.
This time, Lin Weimin asked Random House to hold the book signing event in Kansas just to meet his old friend, and he specially called Mark Meng in advance.
After chatting for a while, Mark Meng invited Lin Weimin and his wife to his home.
Mark Meng got married the year before last and his home is not far from the University of Kansas. Lin Weimin and his wife visited him and met Mark Meng's wife Julie and children.
"Julie, what did I say? See? This is my friend, Lin Weimin!"
Mark Meng introduced Lin Weimin to his wife in a somewhat boastful tone.
In recent years, Lin Weimin's name has become increasingly famous in the United States. Mark Meng often tells his wife about the deep friendship he formed with Lin Weimin when he was studying abroad. Unfortunately, his wife Julie always thinks he is bragging.
Now that she had seen Lin Weimin in person, she finally believed that what Mark Meng said was true.
My husband does know the great writer Lin Weimin, and they are good friends!
Mark Meng and Julie prepared a lunch for Lin Weimin. They sat together and ate and chatted, as if they were back in the days in Yanjing.
When talking about the friends he met while studying abroad, Mark Meng was full of regrets. As the years passed, they had less and less contact and hadn't been in touch for a long time.
Lin Weimin talked about Yin Geli's current situation. The foreign girl has not only become his nephew's wife, but also gave birth to a mixed-race child, which made Mark Meng feel like a dream.
"I never thought that among us, the one who would stay in China would be Goli," Mark Meng sighed.
"Yes, fate is amazing!"
After staying at Mark Meng's house until the evening, Lin Weimin had to say goodbye as he had to catch a plane.
Mark Meng took Lin Weimin and his wife to the airport. After they got off the car, there was no reluctance to leave as last time, because Mark Meng told them a good news.
He is now applying to be a visiting scholar in China. If all goes well, he will be able to meet Lin Weimin again at Yenching University next year or the year after.
After finishing his trip to Kansas, Lin Weimin set off again.
A few days later, after finishing his last book signing event in Los Angeles, Lin Weimin met with Christian Salmon again to continue the unfinished interview.
Lin Weimin packed his luggage and brought it with him on this trip, with no plans to return to New York. After the interview with the writer for The Paris Review, his itinerary and mission in the United States came to an end.
Lin Weimin called Arthur Miller to say goodbye, and then called Roger Strauss.
His schedule was so full during this period that he didn't even have time to write. He only wrote the beginning of the English version of "Hunting". He could only wait until he returned to Yanjing to calm down and finish writing before mailing it to FSG Publishing House.
Before I knew it, it was already mid-July and more than three months had passed.
In the past half month, Cheng Zaochun has been calling Lin Weimin to urge him to go back.
He had abandoned his work in the editorial department for more than three months. If he didn't go back, his colleagues would almost forget that he was the director.
After packing their luggage, Lin Weimin took Tao Huimin to the airport early the next morning.
The car to the airport was arranged by Random House. In the car, Lin Weimin took Tao Huimin's hand and said with some guilt: "We said we were here for a honeymoon, but I didn't expect to spend all the time on my work."
Tao Huimin has a gentle and charming smile, and after marriage she has become more mature and feminine.
"How could that be? I've had a very fulfilling time in the United States during this period. And look at all the things we brought back. We've had enough time to play."
Tao Huimin snuggled up to Lin Weimin. Before, she only knew that she had married a great writer, but at that time that was only in China. She had long been accustomed to Lin Weimin's fame and the public's love for him.
During this trip abroad, Tao Huimin finally saw the significance of her husband's identity as a "writer" in the United States. Enjoying the preferential treatment brought by the halo of "Mrs. Lin Weimin", Tao Huimin's heart was filled with love and admiration for her husband.
With a smile on her face, she joked, "After this trip, my English has improved. I'm no longer a dumb English speaker!"
Lin Weimin couldn't help but laugh, "You only practiced a little oral English when you went abroad, you've lost a lot!"
The car arrived at the airport while the two were chatting and laughing.
Two hours later, the couple boarded the plane back to Yanjing.
(End of this chapter)
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