Journal opens new page for literature

There are numerous literary journals in the English-speaking world, but those that specialize in the translation of Chinese literature - and contemporary Chinese literature in particular-are rare.

Those few journals are dominated by Western scholars or businesspeople with their special tastes and a desire to cater to their readers often by rewriting Chinese works. It is a common practice instead of honoring them as pieces of serious literature that should not be altered at will.

But things are beginning to change with the appearance of a Chinese professor with a new journal, Chinese Literature and Culture, based in China and published in the United States, with the backing of Chinese writers and literary journals as well as translators and scholars worldwide.