IN SOUTHEAST ASIAN countries that declared independence after the Second World War, it is not uncommon for the government to take charge of national literary and artistic development. Whether they are…

Since the 1990s, few events happening on the street or in public space in China have officially entered the public view. For the majority of people, the word “public space” seems to carry little meaning. The terms quanzi (circle) and jianghu (rivers and lakes), on the contrary, make a strong impression. Quanzi in Chinese society…

How long is mourning? (Dictionary, Memorandum): eighteen months for a father, a mother ——Roland Barthes, Mourning Diary, October 29, 1977 Roland Barthes started writing his Mourning Diary, October 26,…