Letters and Epistolary Culture in Early Medieval China

Title Page, Copyright

Letters and Epistolary Culture in Early Medieval China Letters and Epistolary Culture in Early Medieval China Antje Richter A China Program Book u n i v e r si t y of wa s h i n g t o n p r e s s Seattle and London this book is made possible by a collaborative grant from the andrew w. mellon foundation. This book was supported in part by the China Studies Program, a division of the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington.© 2013 by the University of Washington Press 17 16 15 14 13 5 4 3 2 1 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. University of Washington Press PO Box 50096, Seattle, WA 98145, USA www.washington.edu/uwpress Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Richter, Antje. Letters and epistolary culture in early medieval China / Antje Richter. pages cm “A China Program book.” Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-295-99277-8 (hardback : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-295-99278-5 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Letter writing, Chinese. 2. Chinese letters—History and criticism. 3. Chinese literature—220–589—History and criticism. I. Title. PL2400.R53 2013 808.6’0951—dc23 2012046994 The paper used in this publication is acid-free and meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences— Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48–1984.∞ What’s your guess? Can I still get a letter by Sunday? It should be possible. But it’s crazy, this passion for letters. Isn’t a single one sufficient? Isn’t knowing once sufficient? Certainly, it’s sufficient, but nevertheless one leans far back and drinks in the letters and is aware of nothing but that one doesn’t want to stop drinking. —fr a nz k afk a, letter to Milena Jesenská, May 29, 1920 ...