Literature
In essence,
literature is not a result of research --- it’s the result of one’s
temperament. This is not to say that research is unnecessary to the writing of
literary value of any kind. In fact, many literary works are in the disguise of
argumentative essays, laden with research data. For example, in many of her
essays, Susan Sontag didn’t necessarily try to persuade you as much try to show
off her own spirited charater (in Chinese, qi氣). The result is highly personal writing. That’s why to
some of the contemporary readers, Notes on Camp looks dated and
unreadable, while to the others it’s still inspiring. It’s not a problem of
scientific but a problem of shared taste. There are some cases of questionable
research and unique taste, resulting in valuable writings, and there are many
more cases of impeccable research but uninteresting authorship. It’s more
important for a person of literary inspiration to gain temperament. As it
happens, research always helps to achieve the goal, though we may need to be
more flexible and original about its definition. In fact, walking in the park
or just staying quietly in your cramped room with eyes closed can all be means
of research.
(12/14/2004)