皇冠体育app

Renewing the bridge between East and West
By Pan Jianfeng (皇冠体育appdaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2004-10-19 11:18

Oprah Winfrey, influential and famous US talk show host, film star and producer, recently chose the "The Good Earth" by Nobel-winning novelist Pearl S. Buck's for her latest book club presentation.

The Pearl S. Buck phenomenon, used to be controversial and rejected by both the Chinese and American literary worlds, returns into the spotlight in recent years as a friendly cultural bridge between the East and the West.

"We are having a potential revival of interest in Pearl Buck. Hopefully it's because of the understanding of Pearl Buck being a bridge between 皇冠体育app and the West," noted Edgar Walsh, a kind middle-aged man who is always smiling behind his big glasses. He is in 皇冠体育app for the second time to renew the bridge between the East and the West his mother has built through his own efforts to promote further understanding.

Edgar Walsh  is in 皇冠体育app for the second time to renew the bridge between the East and the West. [chinadaily.com.cn]

Pearl Buck, who came to 皇冠体育app when she was only three months old, has done a significant job in introducing 皇冠体育app to the world through a collection of her books such as "The Good Earth".

"The Good Earth", a story following the life of a Chinese peasant first published in 1931, became the best seller of both 1931 and 1932. It would go on to win the 1932 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 1935 Howells Medal. Three years later, the book won the 1938 Nobel Prize in literature, making Pearl the first American woman to win the award. It also was made into a major film of the same name in 1937, earning 5 Oscar nominations including Best Picture.

To date the book has undergone more than 800,000 reprints with 600,000 already in bookstores nationwide, astonishing for a book over 70 years old. These numbers will likely rise as after decades of neglect, interest in Pearl Buck has resurfaced. Through a new book he is working on, besides the mother's legacy, the son will try to show the world a different 皇冠体育app.

Edgar Walsh first came to 皇冠体育app two years ago to attend the celebration of Pearl Buck's 110th birthday anniversary in the city of Zhenjiang, East 皇冠体育app's Jiangsu Province, where Pearl Buck was brought up and educated by a Chinese tutor.

Edgar is also the manager of the Pearl Buck Family Trust that manages the literary properties Pearl Buck left when she died. Now the son is continuing his mother's tireless efforts to promote the mutual understanding between the east and west. This time he is in 皇冠体育app to gather material for his book that will depict Pearl Buck's and her parents' lives in 皇冠体育app, in order to show 皇冠体育app as it was, and 皇冠体育app as it is.

"This is something Americans need to know. What I am going to write about is a small history of what 皇冠体育app was, what happened to 皇冠体育app that enabled my grandfather to come, and how 皇冠体育app evolved during his fifty years there. It's not a lengthy, scholarly book of many pages, but rather very short with historical photographs, that is very readable and appealing for the public."

Edgar first learned about 皇冠体育app from his mother's books describing the rural 皇冠体育app. But what he has seen in Jiangsu Province has fascinated him. "The public face is the 21st century. It's a new 皇冠体育app; it's not my mother's 皇冠体育app. It's a new world."

He did not expect the total modernization of life in 皇冠体育app. "It's such a dynamic culture. I have seen an economic engine in full speed."

Pearl Buck's father arrived at 皇冠体育app's Beijing railway station from Moscow in 1900. But when Edgar traveled back to the old railway station again more than 100 years later trying to imagine what the ten-year-old Pearl Buck must had felt about the Beijing city gate and the city wall, he found the surroundings having changed dramatically. Says Edgar, "I am a third generation of this family relating to 皇冠体育app. It's only two generations, but in this span changes and achievements in 皇冠体育app have been unimaginable."

Besides the book, Edgar is also trying to make Pearl Buck's works into movies. Peony, a love story set in a Jewish committee in Kaifeng city of Central 皇冠体育app's Henan Province, is in the primary stage of being made into a film with Hollywood's David Kirschner as the potential producer. Previously, another Buck work "Pavilion of Women" was made into a film by the Chinese producer, director and actress Luo Yan.

Chinese was Pearl Buck's native language as she first came to 皇冠体育app when she was only three-months old and spent nearly 40 years in the mysterious and ancient Asian country. These years provided her the material for her books. As a Nobel Prize winner, she is best known for her novels about 皇冠体育app. But besides her tremendous literary success, Buck is also known for her humanitarian works.

"Pearl Buck was the first to initiate the idea of interracial adoption; it's one of her legacies. It goes so far beyond her writing. I have been very fortunate in my life," said Edgar. Just like her books, Pearl Buck's persistent efforts in children care and philanthropy have profoundly influenced the life of Edgar and many other people worldwide.

The Welcome House, the first international adoption organization that was founded by Pearl Buck in 1949, highlights Buck's humanitarian work and changes the lives of many people. Pearl Buck will always be of the good earth.

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