Scholar-officials of late medieval China were not only enthusiastic in amateur storytelling, but also showed unprecedented interest in recording stories on different aspects of literati life. These stories appeared in diverse forms, including narrative poems, “tales of the marvelous, ” “records of the strange, ” historical miscellanies, and transformation texts. Through storytelling, literati explored their own changing place in a society that was making its final transition from hereditary aristocracy to a meritocracy ostensibly open to all. Literati Storytelling shows how these writings offer crucial insights into the reconfiguration of the Chinese elite, which monopolized literacy, social prestige, and political participation in imperial China.
Table of Content
Acknowledgments
Note to Readers
Chronology
Introduction
1. Sovereignty: The Case of the Illustrious Emperor
2. Literati Sociality: Remembering Individuals and Community in Historical Miscellanies
3. Sexuality: Women, Literati, and Nonmarital Bonds
4. Cosmic Mobility: The Possibility and Impossibility of Moving Beyond
Conclusion: The Power and Legacies of Late Medieval Literati Storytelling
Chinese Character Glossary
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Manling Luo is assistant professor of Chinese literature at Indiana University.More ebooks from the same author(s) / Editor
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