Recommendable On-line Courses

Open Yale Courses

Representation of Gender and Mental Illness in Literature and Film

Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wall-paper” (1892)—post-partum depression and the rest cure prescribed for her

Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar (1963)—clinical depression and the electrical shock prescribed for her

Jane Campion, An Angel at my Table (1990)—Janet Frame and lobotomy prescribed for her

Louise Glück, -- Anorexia coped with by poetry writing

three novels by Henry James adapted into films

Portrait of a Lady

The Wings of Dove

The Bostonians

all accessible thru Youtube

Two Novels by Edith Wharton adapted into films

The Age of Innocence

The House of Mirth accessible thru youtube

The Master, by Colm Toibin, published in 2005, a Novel fictionalizing Henry James' Life

Two reviews  on the novel, The Master, taken from Amazon:

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's a bold writer indeed who dares to put himself inside the mind of novelist Henry James, but that is what Tóibín, highly talented Irish author of The Heather Blazing and The Blackwater Lightship, has ventured here, with a remarkable degree of success. The book is a fictionalized study, based on many biographical materials and family accounts, of the novelist's interior life from the moment in London in 1895 when James's hope to succeed in the theater rather than on the printed page was eclipsed by the towering success of his younger contemporary Oscar Wilde. Thereafter the book ranges seamlessly back and forth over James's life, from his memories of his prominent Brahmin family in the States-including the suicide of his father and the tragic early death of his troubled sister Alice-to his settling in England, in a cherished house of his own choosing in Rye. Along the way it offers hints, no more, of James's troubled sexual identity, including his fascination with a young English manservant, his (apparently platonic) night in bed with Oliver Wendell Holmes and his curious obsession with a dashing Scandinavian sculptor of little talent but huge charisma. Another recurrent motif is James's absorption in the lives of spirited, highly intelligent but unhappy young women who die prematurely, which helped to inform some of his strongest fiction. The subtlety and empathy with which Tóibín inhabits James's psyche and captures the fleeting emotional nuances of his world are beyond praise, and even the echoes of the master's style ring true. Far more than a stunt, this is a riveting, if inevitably somewhat evasive, portrait of the creative life.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Bookmarks Magazine

The Master may not elevate James to the status achieved by Virginia Woolf in Michael Cunningham’s The Hours, but it’s a remarkable accomplishment. Most readers, regardless of their familiarity with James’s work, will appreciate its timeless themes, including war, family, character, and ambition, and graceful, evocative prose. Tóibín (Blackwater Lightship) offers a humane portrait of the writer in middle age, ambitious and mentally energetic but emotionally aloof. Though focused on five years, he captures all stages of James’s life, from his Yankee childhood and European young adulthood to middle-aged angst. Sometimes Tóibín veers too much into fantasy, mixing up his and James’s voices; at other points, more imagination could have animated the text. Yet, there’s no doubt that The Master is the work of—well, another kind of master.

許甄倚以文化研究的方法從批判維多利亞時期的兒童性教育重讀The Turn of the Screw

參閱：

拒絕柔順的原慾地帶：論《碧廬冤孽》中之顛覆動能與蠱惑魅力=An Insubordinate Libidinal Zone: Reading Henry James's The Turn of the Screw

• 許甄倚
• 中外文學
• 31:8=368 民92.01
• 頁280-298

張小虹閱讀<黃色壁紙>

女性主義批評結合解構批評與精神分析學說閱讀<黃色壁紙>:

請參閱：

文本裡有女人嗎?--閱讀[Charlotte Perkins Gilman]〈黃色壁紙〉[The Yellow Wallpaper]

• 張小虹
• 中外文學
• 22:10=262 民83.03
• 頁57-67

Henry James and Atlantic Monthly

Visit this webpage to read about the role Atlantic Monthly played in Henry James' writing career:

http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/unbound/flashbks/james/jamint.htm

PBS Film on Mark Twain

Besides the access to the film through Youtube, you may also visit this website created by PBS on Mark Twain:

http://www.pbs.org/marktwain/

On "Daisy Miller" and "Roman Fever" by Stefanie Chiu

Daisy Miller and Roman Fever

           Stefanie Chiu

Well, when I received this assignment, a question came up to my mind: What is the connection between these two short stories? After reading them carefully, I found some interesting points. Today, due to time limit, I’ll focus on just two major points.

        First of all, in Henry James’ story, literally Daisy Miller died of Roman Fever (that is, malaria瘧疾) at the end of the story. In the other words, the disease disrupts any prospect for romance to develop between Daisy and Winterbourne, who has been enchanted by Daisy. However, in “The Roman Fever” by Edith Wharton who regarded Henry James as her mentor, the disease is just an interim episode, which means it functions only as a middle point in the plot of the story that concerns the lives of two women, Mrs. Horace Ansley and Mrs. Delphin Slade.

In “Daisy Miller,” through Winterbourne’s final realization, Henry James assures the reader that the seemingly reckless Daisy caught roman fever and died from it, but she remained “innocent” at the end of her life.  In “Roman Fever”, visiting Colloseum with her male lover, the seemingly quiet and well-guarded Grace Ansley caught cold but took risk to consummate her love and thus conceive her child.  Henry James tells a story about an innocent American girl wrongly disgraced by society. Edith Wharton tells a story about a female revenge under disguise. Both are about woman as an enigma.  

        Second, I want to talk about the sharp judgment of woman behaviors by society. Obviously, even today, what women do is not measured equally when compared to men’s. It’s true that woman’s behaviors are judged not only more critically but also harshly than men’s. Such gender inequality is pronounced in “Daisy Miller” and “Roman Fever”. Take the example in “Daisy Miller,” when Mrs. Costello knows that Daisy will visit the old castle with Mr.Winterbourne, she blamed Daisy and refused to meet her. She herself is a woman. One assumes that she should be on the same boat with Daisy; however, out of cultural and class conflict (Europe vs. America, Old Privileged vs. New Rich) she despised and excluded Daisy. Ironically, she did not say anything negative about Mr.winterbounre’s action but just commented on Daisy being a “common girl” and she is so audacious as to “ go too far.”  The same situation happened in “Roman Fever”. Two women fight with each other because of a man. How ridiculous it is! Mrs. Slade spent all her energy to compete with and do harm to her friend but did not say any words against her husband. The vicious rivalry between two women is brought to light by this short story rich in subtle undertone.

         Based on jealousy and envy, competitiveness within women seems to push women to find fault with each other; but what about men? They are beyond blame. Nowadays, society tends to label women into good girls or bad girls, ladies or tramps. But most interestingly, it is women who judge women and disgrace woman. Well, the vicious rivalry between women is unraveled all the way in these two classic short stories.

On How Toni Morrison rewrites Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Visit the following website:

http://www.flet.keio.ac.jp/~colloq/articles/backnumb/Col_20_FukaseYukiko.pdf

Famous writers on Adventures of Hucleberry Finn

Visit the following website:
http://classiclit.about.com/od/adventuresofhuckleberry/a/huckfinn_writer.htm

Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: questions for you to think about

Questions posed by the reader's guide in the Random House edition of the novel with introduction by George Saunders:

Reader's Guide

1. Critics have long disagreed about exactly what role Jim plays in Huckleberry Finn. Some have claimed, for example, that his purpose is solely to provide Huck with the opportunity for moral growth, while others have argued that he is a surrogate father figure to Huck. What do you think is Jim's role in the novel?
2. The ending of Huckleberry Finn has been the source of endless critical controveryse. Though no less than T.S. Eliot and Lionel Trilling defended the ending on the grounds that it is structurally coherent ("It is right," Eliot stated, "that the mood of the book should bring us back to the beginning"), many critics feel that the return of Tom Sawyer and his elaborate scheme for Jim's escape reduces what had been a serious quest for freedom to a silly farce. Bernard de Voto wrote, "In the whole reach of the English novel there is no more aburpt or more abrupt or chilling descent." How does the ending strike you?
3. The Mississippi can be considered a character in its own right in Huckleberry Finn. Discuss the role of the river in the novel.
4. How do humor and satire function in the book?
5. Critic William Manierre argued in a 1964-65 essay that "Huck's 'moral growth' has...been vastly overestimated," noting for example, that when his conscience begins to give him trouble, he decides he will "do whichever came handiest at the time," and that while Huck can be seen to achieve a kind of moral grandeur when he tears up the note he's written to Miss Watson, that achievement is underminded by his easy acceptance of Tom Sawyer's scheme in the last ten chapters. Do you agree or disagree?
6. In "The Greatness of Huckleberry Finn," Lionel Trilling stated that the style of the book is "not less than definitive in American literature," and Louis Budd has noted that "today it is standard academic wisdom that Twain's precedent-setting achievement is Huck's language." Discuss the effect of Twain's use of colloquial speech and dialect in the novel.

Emily Dickinson 寫山

群山無言，識我──愛彌麗．狄堇蓀的詠山詩

四月的午后，空氣中渲染著一片氤氳欲滴，我從文學院四樓的研究室出來，憑欄往東南望去，海岸山脈的稜線在藍天之下蜿蜒起伏，暗綠的山壁與灰藍的天色形成強烈的對比，逗人興發一種臨摹的念頭。屏息凝立，我輕輕伸出食指，熨貼著懸在遠天又近乎咫尺的的稜線，由左至右一溜盡底，想像它是翼護著月眉村的玄鳥，碩大的一隻蒼鷺吧，正沿著七星潭細浪綿綿的水涯，往花蓮溪口飛來。記憶裡同時浮現高中美術課學畫仕女圖的情景。隔著半透明的棉紙，狼毫小楷的筆尖濡墨順沿著老師提供的底樣，纖細地勾勒出一位盛唐女史婀娜的身姿。在我食指下的山脈雖然鬱鬱蒼蒼，卻是恬靜、溫馴，又讓我想起童年時外婆家後院裏養著的那隻長有深綠毛紋的母貓，當灶頭傳來陣陣烹鮮魚香時，牠總是柔順地隨我撫弄，並且成為我小學第一張得獎畫作描摹的主題。背景是那口覆滿絨絨地衣的水井和絳紅的夕陽，變成灰藍的母貓斜倚在井腳淡麻色的木桶旁打盹，頭邊有顆放大的玻璃彈珠，珠心藏桔色的一條星形甬道。是的，當我的指尖停止在稜線右端的盡頭時，那長久以來被壓伏而竟已喪失的作畫衝動剎那間象徵性地獲得了滿足。此刻，生命對我何其溫柔。

與東華校園周圍群山的邂逅，這只是其中的一端。用邂逅這個字詞來形容或醒或睡，一切的活動行止皆在它們環伺之下的我與群山的照面，顯然需要進一步的解釋。邂逅是一種無心中墜入的機緣，天天開門見山，何邂逅之有？1996年從嘉義民雄遷居花蓮志學，因為第一眼就喜歡上這裡三面環山的地景。有朋自遠方來，曾經到過我在西雅圖的家，這回看我返台後又輾轉移棲於此，便說我命中犯孤，注定與山水為伍，話裡不知是羨慕還是憐憫？由於一來就馬上投入教學與研究，又得照料兩位上小學的兒子平日的起居與課業，我忙到沒有閒情與空暇去遊山玩水，包括辨清與指認這一帶每一座山頭的名字。我安慰自己，姑且籠統地知道屏立在東邊的是海岸山脈，而聳峙在西的層巒疊翠就是台灣的背脊中央山脈吧，剛來就只能這樣了。當然我從閱讀楊牧的詩作〈俯視〉，得知這片疊羅漢般的山群中有座木瓜山，然後就是常在師生間聽人提起的鯉魚山，也就是像一片銅鏡般，讓都市來的孩子們驚識原來雲也有影子的，那座最逼近校園後門的山。這座山，不管你注不注意，在豪雨過後，總會化做一口神仙的煉丹爐，不斷地湧出白樸樸的雲嵐渡人進入化外仙鄉。有回無意中讀到陳黎的一首詩，裡面羅列出成串原住民族語的山名，震懾之餘，突然一陣心慌，恍如在大洋中迷路的舢板小舟，徒見滿天繁星，然而，然而指點迷津的北斗杓子在哪裡呢？後來，更聽說在南華附近有一對常相廝守的夫妻山，也沒有時間前去實地辨識，遐想一番。初來時，群山對我而言，只是一種籠統的、無名的存在，有時在我腦海裡喚起中西文學各種山的象徵意涵，神話的、宗教的、政治的、美學的、生態的，這些意涵或隨著人類對荒野體認的演變史生發、增殖、遞衍，或依附在像謝靈運或華滋華斯(William Wordsworth)模山範水的經典詩作中，啟迪著我對山形而上的體悟與無窮的想像。然而，我對周圍群山真正的認識是從無心的邂逅開始。

群山無言，過去七年來，卻又經常在我忙碌得無從用心的時候，以一種近乎顯靈的，若以形容視覺經驗的用語表述，又可說是局部顯影的方式，攝取了我的注意。它們隨著我的眼神觸及的角度，陽光的方位、強度，與雲氣不同的變化，向驚詫的我裸現出先前隱秘而當下揭啟的另一種山的色澤、另一重峰脈的構成，以及一道道坳溝彼此間疏密有致的褶曲波動。群山賞給我的無心驚喜，在初來的前兩年頻仍地發生，以致後來，只要我一凝神，總有看不厭的風景，彷彿群山的含情脈脈已贏得了我的傾心，我的眼睛已然被點化成一雙懂得回應對方眇眇愁予的戀人的眼睛。或者剛好相反，群山識我多情，解人地回報我每一有心無心的瞻望一瞥值得人賞玩的風神。總之，由於許多頻仍發生的視覺性邂逅，我墜入了與群山甜蜜交契的深情中。五年前吧，當慈濟醫學院的李明亮院長正在為籌設中的人文社科院物色師資時，約了我去他的院長室敘談，當時有些明確的理由讓我絲毫不考慮離開東華，然而藏在內心深處真正的理由，卻是捨不得離開與我情緣未了的周圍的群山。離開慈濟校園時，我刻意看了一眼校舍後的山景，是那種無法叫我心動的。

不久，我偶然讀到了這首被譽為美國最偉大的女性詩人愛彌麗．狄堇蓀(EmilyDickinson)所寫的詠山詩：

蜜糖般甜美的山──不會說謊欺罔我的──

不會拒絕我──也不會戾飛而去的──

那一顆顆日復一日永不改變的眼眸

定睛睇我──即使我有了虧失──或赧然做作

或徒負皇族各樣赫赫的美名──

那悠悠──徐徐──紫色的凝視依舊──

巍巍乎聖母──疼惜依舊──

女尼她雖偏行己路──山腳下

一切的服事──可都獻給您──

連她最近的一次敬拜──當白晝

從穹蒼消逝──

她舉眉向您──

多麼巧合，狄堇蓀也在她幽居的閣樓裡感受到群山多情的凝視，並且戀慕著它們，像悔罪知恩的女尼敬虔地膜拜著聖母。多麼巧合，狄堇蓀形容群山的眼眸持定著一種紫色的凝視，那正是鯉魚山頭，在破曉時分的第一道晨曦中，向我裸現的色澤，似乎也正是一切靈魂經過愛的淘洗之後，煥射出來的，有著王者之尊的本色。

欣喜於遇見知音，我開始逐首閱讀狄堇蓀留給世人的近一千八百首詩，從中發現了至少十來首與山有關，並且大多可以挪借來詠頌東華的群山與我之間的交契，甚至讀著讀著，我對群山的體認，都不由得受到了詩人的啟迪。2000年夏天，我們一家四口人暢遊美東，抵達波士頓時，特地南下Amherst造訪狄堇蓀的故居，我尤其格外注意這座鄉間小城周圍的地景。小城位於康涅狄克河谷平原上，南有海拔800英呎的聖軛山(Mt. Holyoke)，北側亦有矮丘連綿。文史資料顯示，狄堇蓀唸中學時曾經偕友爬上聖軛山，並在遊客中心的訪客簿上簽名留念。無論聖軛山或矮丘，山勢都不及我在東華所見壯觀，而且從狄堇蓀故居的院子，甚至沿著門前的大街散步，都看不見山的影子。料想狄堇蓀瞻仰群山的地方，應該就是故居的塔樓，這塔樓共有八面窗戶，提供了360度的視景。狄堇蓀詩中有首以山為背景的全觀視景風景詩，或可佐證：

群山站在雲靄中──

村莊在山腳下

隨心所欲向前奔流或癡心等待的

是河流和天空。

閒閒的是太陽──

多的是火的孳息

有點懶得動舌──

任由晚霞訴說尖塔，

如此溫柔地降臨

夜幕低垂在風景中

我們感受到有樣東西何其鄰近

正是那肉眼看不見的。

可惜塔樓並未對外開放，無法登臨證實；然而，即使置身其中，大概視野也會被稠密的建築和高大的樹林屏遮，不復見到詩人當年歌詠的景觀。此外，和我曾經以長篇論文分析過的狄堇蓀詩中的海洋意象一樣，我總覺得這位擅長書寫內在風景的詩人所歌詠的山不僅止於肉眼所見的山，山除了映現大自然的壯美之外，對狄堇蓀而言，更是人格、智慧，甚至堅定不移愛情的象徵。不是現實世界的視景，是詩人三稜鏡般的靈視，讓山具有了多重的面貌與精神內涵。

細讀狄堇蓀的詠山詩，的確與眾不同。描寫山前的破曉晨光，她這樣形容：

白晝徐徐降臨──五點鐘一到──

立刻雀躍在山丘之前

宛如突破屏障的紅寶石──或者火花

從一管毛瑟槍──倏然噴出──

紫色無法淹留在東方──

晨曦搖盪開來

宛如黃寶石漫泛一地──將夜色裹覆──

是位貴婦人方才攤開的──

快樂的風──拾起它們的鈴鼓──

鳥群──乖馴地羅列

環繞著牠們的君王

風──正是牠們的君王──

果園珠光的爍像極了猶太人──

多麼威風啊！──貴為

這個令人驚異之地的賓客──

置身白晝的──廳堂──

狀容山前的晨光，狄堇蓀同時比附於女性嗜喜的珠寶意象與具有男性指涉的槍管火花，想像運思雙性兼美是這首詩耐人尋味的特色。另一層別出心裁的聯想，是把宮廷燕享的情景與山光交疊，類似的修辭又出現在下舉這一首詩中，生動地區隔出群山與山腳下活動著的人們，原來分屬兩個截然不同的世界──貴冑的與平民的：

有如男和女，影子結伴行走

在群山之顛，今天──

他們游盼四顧莊重鞠躬

或者吻手示意

無疑向著他們的的左鄰右舍

無暇認知

更渺小的風景如你如我

以及我們所居住的小鎮──

將山頭間的彼此呼應比擬成上層社會的社交互動，這首詩若是純粹的寫景詩，狄堇蓀所展現的，是以生動的戲劇性聯想凸顯山的壯美對比出人的渺小。若是諷喻詩而另有所指，用高高在上的群山影射志得意滿的權貴，也是修辭妙招。把山擬人化，狄堇蓀也曾用富於童趣的筆調，將山比喻成智慧的長者，先時間而存有：

山蹲踞在平原之上

坐在他那巍巍的椅子上──

他的觀察四面八方

他的探索，無孔不入──

四季在他的膝旁戲耍

像孩童們圍繞著一位年邁的紳士──

他是白晝的爺爺

也是黎明的，曾祖──

狄堇蓀詠山，也詠登山者，並以之自況：

在人生的山徑攻頂，帶著我的背包

如果證實了它的陡峭──

如果灰心讓我裹足不前──

如果我近來的步履

感覺比那促使我上路的希望蒼老──

無可指摘的仍是昔日

那顆提議的心和甘之如飴的心

把居無定所，當作歸家──

狄堇蓀的詠山詩中有三首特別令我回味，都涉及紫色的山暈。第一首寫陽光對山的愛戀似乎也道盡了我對山的癡迷：

群山──在人們不注意的時候抽長了──

一座座紫色的軀體升起

不懷機心──從不倦怠──

無須支助──或者掌聲──

向著群山永恆的臉龐

太陽──帶著正直的喜悅

久久長長地凝視──持續著──金色的

交契──進入夜晚

狄堇蓀詩中紫色的山暈經常是落日斜暉的返照，以下這首詩把映照在山頭上的落霞轉喻成輻射出永恆真理的宇宙之花，詩中瀰漫著天地的花朵特寫幾乎可媲美歐姬芙(Georgia O’Keeffe) 畫作的構圖，同時它又是首關於信仰的玄言詩，所要表達的近乎陶淵明飲酒詩的感悟──如果紫色的山暈是永恆真理的投射，「此中有真意，欲辨已忘言」：

紫丁香是一種古老的樹

但比它更古老的

是天空的紫

今晚映照在山頭的──

太陽在軌道上沉落

遺贈這株向晚的植物

給沈思──不供人撫弄──

這屬乎西天的花朵

花冠是西方──

花萼是大地──

蒴果中灼灼的種子是星星

專研信仰的科學家

他的研究才剛起步──

超乎他所演繹的合題之上

這朵花無懈可擊

不接受時間的解析──

「人眼未曾見過的」也許

就是令人目盲的

請不要讓啟示

被一道道命題拘囿住──

綻放在山頭的一朵紫色的花擴展開來，成為遍佈寰宇的花，這個獨創的意象早在1863年，也就是狄堇蓀詩作的高峰期，便出現在以下這首玄秘如神諭般的詩中：

綻放在山頭的一朵花──且這麼稱呼──

一個無瑕的名字──

夕陽最燦爛的時候──

複製出──同樣的──

種子，倘若我有，我紫色的播種

應該賦予白晝──

而非如炎炎熱帶的黃昏──

在炫耀中把自己銷溶──

誰為了耕種──上山來

來了，又消失了──

花的榮枯歸功於誰

見證人，已經不在了──

當我這樣訴說著──莊嚴的蓓蕾

遙向北方──東方

遙向南方和西方──伸展開來

盛開到了極致──進入安息──

而山便向著夜色

調整他的容顏──

不再憑藉肌肉的張力，展現的是──

經驗

陽光在山頭撒種，開出的莊嚴蓓蕾，原是愛在每個人生命中澆灌出的花朵？何等華美、豐腴的想像！自從閱讀到狄堇蓀這個神諭般的妙諦，晨起散步，若是晴天，看見群山山頭沐浴在紫光中，我的靈魂便好像又回到伊甸樂園。

On Annie Proulx, the author of "Brokeback Mountain"

大器晚成的地誌書寫巨擘安妮．普露

                              曾珍珍

國立東華大學創作與英語文學研究所教授

安妮．普露(Annie Proulx, 1935--)大器晚成，〈斷背山〉發表於《紐約客》時，她已經63歲了。習慣鄉居，酷愛山野活動，對於懷俄明一帶山區地理與生態如數家珍，她以年歲醞釀出的冷靜觀照穿插精準入微的地景素描，寫活了一對男同志牛仔纏綿一生的「荒野之戀」。青春期邂逅於盛夏的高山牧野，失怙、蹺家的兩人相伴在寂寞荒遼的無人之境，發育中的身體摩撞出熊熊火花，刻骨銘心。各自成家後再聚首，年復一年密會於山林雲深之處，穿透他們身心的，正是當年貼近蠻荒而浸潤到的那股雄渾、狂野卻又慈和、寬慰的自然慾力，及其記憶之回返。這樣的愛情在六十年代的人間社會找不到出路，對家庭倫常造成的衝撞，在角色心中蓄積成無言以對的愧疚，童年時恐同的父親對同志身體暴虐的污衊與凌遲，更在記憶深處烙刻下戒律恫嚇的夢魘。普露的藝術成就展現在以洗練的自然主義筆觸，營造出曠達解人又難掩惶惑、無奈的抒情風格，引領我們深切見識慾望拉踞在可能與不可能，剛猛與溫柔之間激生的愛與絕望。

從女性成長史的角度看，普露的寫作生涯可說是部老一輩單親媽媽突破性別窠臼徒手奮鬥創作有成生命史。大學時中輟嫁人，生一女，五年後離婚，旋即兩度再婚，育得三子，又以離婚收場。其間，重回學院攻讀歷史，40歲時，迫於生計，放棄了幾乎到手的博士學位（主修文藝復興時期經濟史），此後，僻居佛蒙特州鄉野，曾有十多年之久，靠投稿戶外運動、鄉村園藝與美食雜誌， 以非虛構散文解說如何釣漁、修籬、精烹野味、釀製蘋果酒養家餬口。戶外運動雜誌每期刊登以野外生活為題材的小說，固定投稿的作者群經常彼此切磋較技，深受法國年鑑學派史觀影響的普露，擅長觀察產業變遷對常民生活造成的影響，遂將蟄居地新英格蘭北方凋弊農村居民詭怪、畸零的生態陸續寫成小說，一直等到1982年，作品才首度刊載於擁有廣大讀者群的主流雜誌Esquire。1988年，第一本短篇小說集《心曲及其它》（Heart Songs and Other Stories）出版，普露剛柔並濟，詼諧拌和哀傷，結合自然寫作與史料考掘賦形予鄉野民瘼的敘事風格遂告琢磨成熟。次年，出版社允諾預付稿酬，又適時獲得兩筆獎助，生平第一次可以潛心撰寫小說，創作力驚人爆發。1993年以第一部長篇小說《明信片》(Postcards, 1992) 獲頒小說類國家書卷獎，次年又以第二部長篇小說《船訊》(The Shipping News)獲頒普立茲小說獎，連莊竄紅，被譽為美國文壇「最新崛起」的天才小說家。尤其以格陵蘭為背景，揉合生態關懷與家庭重建的尋根小說《船訊》，不但榮登年度暢銷書榜，更被好萊塢改拍成電影，為普露賺進豐渥版稅，購屋定居於懷俄明州的夢想成真。以此為據點，她將往南深入北美大陸天候最為險峻的德北草原，直探牛仔文化的根源，以雄奇、詼諧、荒佚的地誌書寫，讓世人重溫曾經形塑美國，而今卻以凋零的拓荒精神。

成名之後，普露形同一具被打開的潘朵拉盒子，各式各類鄉野傳奇從她筆端不斷湧出。書寫嗜好與文學生產機制雙重驅迫，她的創作力亢奮、豐沛，十年間先後完成《手風琴罹罪史》(Accordion Crimes, 1996)和《坑裡的那位老先覺》 (That Old Ace in the Hole, 2002) 兩部長篇小說。前者透過一具手風琴飄洋過海輾轉易手的流離史，鋪陳近百年不同族裔的移民滄桑；後者敘述Bob Dollar，一位出身貧困亟思力爭上游的職場菜鳥，奉命前往德北草原小鎮臥底，伺機替「全球養豬」跨國公司低價併購閒置牧場，以便達到獨佔世界2/3肉品市場的企業目標，雖然一籌莫展，卻目睹二十世紀幾波產業變遷如何形塑了美國西部洪荒，並且深受老一輩牛仔堅決護土的死志震撼。除了這兩部再現常民生活充滿史家氣魄的寫實巨構之外，十年間並次第寫就以懷俄明鄉野為背景的短篇小說集《貼近群山》（Close Range， 1999；〈斷背山〉輯錄其中，為壓卷之作）以及續編《壞胚子》（Bad Dirt, 2004）。以《坑裡的那位老先覺》為例，翔實的生態與地景介紹、精準的方言取樣和風俗剪影，歷史縱深結合經濟地理，普露的寫實絕技翻陳出新，時而滑稽突梯，時而近乎魔幻，甚至不避淫穢、鄙陋、血腥與獰怪，淋漓寫盡窮鄉小民與嚴峻的自然環境和產業機制互搏共生的貪癲、殘酷、悲壯與窘迫。逐頁翻讀她的作品，始終吸引我的，尚有貫串在洗練的文字間觸動感官的剔透意象，暗含批判的寓喻象徵、人物臧否與情節佈局，以及非常鮮明的環保意識。此刻，《船訊》中隨著海濤、水漾熨貼流轉的語言律動，又回到我的耳際，匉匉提醒我別忘了推薦小說家錘鍊語言幽默精微的用心。安妮．普露大器晚成，把小說藝術寓教於樂的潛能發揮到爐火純青的極致。

On Reading Poetry

讀詩──從一本詩集的翻譯談起

I.

1.      I’m a riddle in nine syllables.   -- Sylvia Plath

2.      樊同雲

3.     

A Route

of Evanescence

With a revolving Wheel—

A Resonance of Emerald—

A Rush of Cochineal—

And every Blossom on the Bush

Adjusts its tumbled Head—

The mail from Tunis, probably,

An easy Morning’s Ride—            -- Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

 一道稍縱即逝的路程

以旋轉的單輪前進─

翡翠綠的共振─

胭脂紅的疾衝─

而榛叢上的每一朵花

都在梳整它撩亂了的髮容─

從突尼斯來的郵車，也許，

一趟隨興搭乘的晨間出遊─

II Selected Poems by Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979)

《寫給雨季的歌》（木馬文化，2004）

Octavia Paz (1990年諾貝爾文學獎得主) 評碧許的詩：

似水又似空氣：開啟視野的詩，視覺的詩。用字曉晰，朗如白晝。碧許的詩是一支高能度的視鏡，用遠觀和近睇逗玩。多元空間和視角的對位並呈讓詩變成一座劇場，場內再現著最古老以及天天都在發生的神妙：真實的世界含蓄著層出不窮的謎。讓人張開或閉著眼睛旅行….旅行於自我之內或之外，抵達過去或現在，抵達記憶中一座座私密的城市或繼續旅行，沿著慾望迴旋的甬道。

1.      一首十八歲時寫的詩

Sonnet

I am in need of music that would flow

Over my fretful, feeling finger-tips,

Over my bitter-tainted, trembling lips,

With melody, deep, clear, and liquid-slow.

Oh, for the healing swaying, old and low,

Of some song sung to rest the tired dead,

A song to fall like water on my head,

And over quivering limbs, dream flushed to glow!

There is a magic made by melody:

A spell of rest, and quiet breath, and cool

Heart, that sinks through fading colors deep

To the subaqueous stillness of the sea,

And floats forever in a moon-green pool,

Held in the arms of rhythm and of sleep.

商籟

我渴欲音樂流淌

淌過我佈滿憂患，多感覺的指尖，

撫過我染著苦澀，顫抖的唇，

調色深邃，清澈，流質般舒緩。

噢，那能止痛療傷，洄盪不已的，

某條低沈的老歌，吟來讓疲倦的亡靈安息

歌曲瀉下如水，淋頭，

淋過我微醺的肢體，夢想蕩滌瀅瀅！

有一種魔法由曲調催生：

一種使人酣然入定的迷魅，呼息悄悄，沁涼的

心，沈潛下來，越過各樣褪去的顏彩

潛入大海深處水波不興的靜謐，

漂浮在月光滿滿的青潭裡，天長地久

讓旋律擁著卿卿入眠。

2.      碧許獨步詩壇觀察入微的眼力，以〈沙鷸〉為例：

Sandpiper  

The roaring alongside he takes for granted,

And that every so often the world is bound to shake.

He runs, he runs to the south, finical, awkward,

In a state of controlled panic, a student of Blake.

The beach hisses like fat. On his left, a sheet

Of interrupting water comes and goes

And glazes over his dark and brittle feet.

He runs, he runs straight through it, watching his toes.

--Watching, rather, the spaces of sand between them,

where (no detail too small) the Atlantic drains

rapidly backwards and downwards.  As he runs,

he stares at the dragging grains.

The world is a mist.  And then the world is

Minute and vast and clear.  The tide

Is higher or lower.  He couldn’t tell you which.

His beak is focused; he is preoccupied,

Looking for something, something, something.

Poor bird, he is obsessed!

The millions of grains are black, white, tan, and gray,

Mixed with quartz grains, rose and amethyst.

浪吼聲如影隨形，習以為常了，

加上天地總是隨時瀕臨動盪、傾翻。

疾奔，牠出走向南，戰戰兢兢，

驚惶中強自鎮定，詩人布萊克的門生。

沙灘吱吱若鍋上肥炙。左方

潮水擾步席捲而來，旋復退去

把牠暗色的瘦腳丫釉上了一層光。

疾奔，牠筆直涉越，目光凝注於趾爪。

關注的，其實是趾間的砂質空隙，

（入眼鉅細靡遺）大西洋的潮水一綹綹

急速退卻、沉落。流洩而去的塵沙

舉步之間，牠用心觀察。

先是霧色茫茫。然後天地乍現

細微、浩瀚、清明。潮汐

或漲或落，牠無從細說分曉。

只見牠嘴喙聚焦，氣定神凝

尋覓，啄啄這啄啄那，啄不盡的…

于嗟禽鳥，牠陷入迷陣了！

上百萬粒細沙有黑的、白的、米黃的、鐵灰的，

摻和著石英顆粒，玫瑰紅拌紫水晶。

3.      碧許喜愛的兩種古典格律詩：Villanelle和 Sestina

Villanelle:

One Art

The art of losing isn’t hard to master;

So many things seemed filled with the intent

To be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something everyday.  Accept the fluster

Of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.

The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:

Places, and names, and where it was you

Meant to travel.  None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother’s watch. And look! My last, or

Next-to-last, of three loved houses went.

The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

I lose two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,

Some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.

I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster.

--Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture

I love) I shan’t have lied.  It’s evident

the art of losing’s not too hard to master

though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

一種藝術

失落的藝術要精通並不難；

好多的人事物似乎本來就打定主意

要失落，失去它們因此不算災難。

天天都在失去某樣東西。即使狼狽也得隨遇而安

丟掉的大門鑰匙，胡亂度過的那個小時。

失落的藝術要精通並不難。

更遙遠的失落，更快速的失落要經常演練：

熟悉的地方，人名，以及你朝思暮想

想要前去覽遊的名勝。失去這些不會帶來災難。

我弄丟了母親的手錶。還有！先前那棟，

甚至更早先的那棟，總共三棟心愛的房子。

失落的藝術要精通並不難。

我失去了兩座城市，可愛的城市。更遼闊的，

我曾擁有的某些地域，兩條河流，一整片洲原。

天天思念，不過，這不曾帶來災難。

──就連失去你（那老愛調笑的聲音，一道手勢

是我深深愛著的）原諒我不願說謊。顯然

失落的藝術要精通依舊不難

即使看起來好像（寫出來吧！）好像一場災難。

＊田莊曲（villanelle）起源於義大利，16世紀被引進法國詩壇時，除了以詠頌田園、牧野為題材之外，最顯著的特徵在於疊句的複沓出現。碧許所襲用的田莊曲格律，定調於17世紀。全詩共計19行，分六段，除了最後一段多出一行外，每段3行。整首詩依aba律則循環使用兩個韻腳；此外，第一段的第一行和第三行交替出現在中間四段，最後聯袂再現於詩的結尾兩行。基本上，碧許嚴謹地遵守了上述的格律，只微微作了一個非常巧妙的變通，即在第一段第3行中只取行尾的 “disaster”一字加入循環複現的行列。如此一來，讓 “disaster” 和 “master” 兩個同韻卻意義互相反挫的字在詩中彼此牽制、拉扯。

Sestina:

Sestina

September rain falls on the house.

In the failing light, the old grandmother

sits in the kitchen with the child

beside the Little Marvel Stove,

reading the jokes from the almanac,

laughing and talking to hide her tears.

She thinks that her equinoctial tears

and the rain that beats on the roof of the house

were both foretold by the almanac,

but only known to a grandmother.

The iron kettle sings on the stove.

She cuts some bread and says to the child,

It’s time for tea now; but the child

is watching the teakettle’s small hard tears

dance like mad on the hot black stove,

the way the rain must dance on the house.

Tiding up, the old grandmother

hangs up the clever almanac

on its string.  Birdlike, the almanac

hovers half open above the child,

hovers above the old grandmother

and her teacup full of dark brown tears.

She shivers and says she thinks the house

feels chilly, and puts more wood in the stove.

It was to be, says the Marvel Stove.

I know what I know, says the almanac.

With crayons the child draws a rigid house

and a winding pathway. Then the child

puts in a man with buttons like tears

and shows it proudly to the grandmother.

But secretly, while the grandmother

busies herself about the stove,

the little moons fall down like tears

from between the pages of the almanac

into the flower bed the child

has carefully placed in the front of the house.

Time to plant tears, says the almanac.

The grandmother sings to the marvelous stove

And the child draws another inscrutable house.

六合詩

九月的雨淅瀝淋落屋宇。

在逐漸黯淡的日光中，老阿嬤          

坐在廚房裡陪伴著小女孩

傍著一口神奇牌小火爐，

唸出一則則笑話，刊在農民曆上的，

一波波的笑浪掩住了伊的眼淚。

伊以為伊秋分時節的眼淚

以及雨叮咚打在屋頂上

兩者都早已預言在農民曆中了，

知情的卻只有伊老阿嬤。

鐵質水壺咿唔吟唱在火爐上。

伊切著麵包，喃喃告訴女孩，

喝茶的時間到了；只是女孩

正凝神看著壺肚上滴滴的眼淚

狂舞在溫燙的黑色火爐上，

恰似雨腳叮咚叮咚舞踊在屋頂。

杯盤收拾乾淨了，老阿嬤

掛回牆壁那本聰明的農民曆

用細繩懸著。鳥一般的，農民曆

扉頁半掀地盤旋在女孩頭上，

也盤旋在老阿嬤頭上

伊的茶杯裡溢滿暗褐色的眼淚。

打者抖，說伊覺得屋子

好冷，於是把更多木柴放進火爐裡。

往事如煙入懷來，神奇的火爐說。

神機妙算自解猜，農民曆說。

女孩一絲不苟用蠟筆畫出一棟屋子

和一條蜿蜒的小徑，接著女孩

又畫上一個男人前襟的鈕釦像眼淚

她得意地把畫秀給老阿嬤。

悄悄地，當老阿嬤

忙著料理晚餐，在火爐旁，

一顆顆小小的月亮墜落如眼淚

從一頁頁張開的農民曆

墜落在花床上，女孩

用心畫在屋前的。

適合種植眼淚的時節，農民曆說。

老阿嬤唱歌給神奇的火爐聽

女孩又畫出了另一棟妙不可言的屋子。     

* 這首詩採用文藝復興時期由義大利抒情詩人佩脫拉克(Petrarch)發揚光大的「六合詩」體（sestina）。全詩分七段，前六段每段六行，末段僅三行。前六段每段的行尾由相同的六個字依序組成，若以英文字母表出，其排列次序由外向內迴旋如下：

1 2 3 4 5 6

6 1 5 2 4 3

3 6 4 1 2 5

5 3 2 6 1 4

4 5 1 3 6 2

2 4 6 5 3 1

末段行尾由5，3，1 或1，3，5 組成，但 2，4，6 必須出現在行中。這種向內迴旋的閉合結構使得整首詩自成一個世界，有如藝術構成的雛形宇宙，因此我將sestina譯為「六合詩」。碧許謹守格律，但末段行尾由5，4，1 取代5，3，1；亦即以「火爐」取代「女孩」，這個變格極有道理，凸顯農民曆、火爐和屋子共同具有的空間特質。