{"product_id":"writing-empire-and-self","title":"Writing Empire and Self","description":"China’s early medieval period, from the fifth through the early seventh century, from the Northern and Southern Dynasties through the unified Sui, was a time of political fragmentation, military strife, and ethnic conflict. It also witnessed brilliant artistic creations as well as a full flowering of court culture, with poetry at its heart. How did poetry come to be regarded as the most potent form of cultural capital, a privileged literary genre, and a foundational skill for members of the elite? How was poetry transformed from an instrument of empire building to a venue for articulating personal trauma and voicing critique of the state?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTracing the evolution of poetry’s role in Chinese society, \u003ci\u003eWriting Empire and Self\u003c\/i\u003e uncovers the profound cultural changes that took place in the early medieval era. Xiaofei Tian argues that in this period, a social community, eventually known as the “scholar elite” and treated as if it had always been a permanent fixture of the Chinese social order, came into being. She investigates the formation of this community, which left its mark on all later Chinese arts and letters, through a careful account of its history and textual production. Combining meticulous readings of numerous previously untranslated texts with a long-term, large-scale view of social and cultural history, \u003ci\u003eWriting Empire and Self\u003c\/i\u003e offers a fresh perspective on poetry’s intricate relationship with the state.","brand":"Columbia University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56643565125976,"sku":"9780231223133","price":166.16,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9780231223133_cff3386b-3a7c-44cb-96e4-6609d1405e50.jpg?v=1772095549","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/writing-empire-and-self","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}