Rereading the Stone
Kevin Wilson, William Jones
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Rereading the Stone is a weekly discussion of historical Chinese literature, philosophy, and poetry, currently focusing on the Qing dynastic Classic novel Dream of the Red Chamber (Hong lou meng 紅樓夢) also known as Story of the Stone (Shitou ji 石頭記).
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Ep 1: Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢 Chapter 1, part 1
Rereading the Stone
08/08/20 • 98 min
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In this very first pilot episode, Kevin Wilson and William Jones give a general introduction to Qing dynastic history and the famous Chinese author Cao Xueqin (1715 or 1724 – 1763 or 1764) before delving into the first part of Chapter 1 of this world-famous novel. Topics discussed include Chinese mythology, the Chinese language and naming systems, Chinese characters and their semantics, parallels between Hong lou meng and Xi you ji (a.k.a., Journey to the West), Buddhist thinking and its influence on this novel, and much more.
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Episode 37 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 18 part 2/4
Rereading the Stone
04/13/21 • 41 min
We continue exploring Yuanchun’s new social standing in this episode. What does it mean to live in a gilded cage, a shimmering space of ritual and power? How does her new position affect her relationship with her family? Meanwhile poet-rockstar Daiyu feels that her talents are going to waste, Baochai plays the teacher, and Baoyu cheats on the test.

Episode 32 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 17 part 1/4
Rereading the Stone
03/08/21 • 52 min
An episode not to be missed — enter the garden! This leisurely stroll through Prospect Garden 大觀園, a location of central significance for Hong lou meng (Dream of the Red Chamber), doubles as a feat of poetic strength. Can Baoyu’s “wayward talent” mitigate his father’s skepticism and dismissiveness? We foreground a number of themes already emphasized on the podcast, in particular aesthetics and philosophies of beauty and art. Is beauty a reflection of nature, or does it rely on upon artistic vision and will?

Episode 35 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 17 part 4/4
Rereading the Stone
03/29/21 • 48 min
The final part of our first garden tour, can you handle this assault on the senses? Can you process this profusion of effusive allusions? Will it prompt your weary soul to dream fragrant dreams? Where’s the line between free play and plagiarism? Are you at home with homage, or do you rectify all references, towing the literal interpretative line? Our battle of literary minds reaches a fever pitch!

Episode 34 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 17 part 3/4
Rereading the Stone
03/23/21 • 64 min
The garden gives and gives, and the tension between Baoyu and Jia Zheng is heightening! As one penetrates art and artifice ever more deeply, fiction becomes reality, and reality becomes hyperreality. The mock village here tucked away would have pulled at Marie Antoinette’s heartstrings, so is it any surprise that Jia Zheng likes it? Baoyu goes off and unleashes an extended critique, and is met with verbal abuse. What is the meaning of nature and the natural (tianran 天然), and how does it relate to art and meaning? Also the fragrance of gardens is foregrounded in this episode; gardens aren’t just for the eyes!

Episode 33 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 17 part 2/4
Rereading the Stone
03/16/21 • 50 min
Deeper — into the garden! This leisurely stroll through Prospect Garden 大觀園, a location of central significance for Hong lou meng (Dream of the Red Chamber), doubles as a feat of poetic strength. We discuss further all the deep-cut historical references flying about and their possible significance for this chapter and for theories of art and meaning. Baoyu unleashes his poetic A-game material, but also seems to alienate his father with the sensual and sensuous acuity of his verses.

Episode 35 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 18 part 1/4
Rereading the Stone
04/06/21 • 44 min
Imperial Concubine Yuanchun returns home to visit family, to see the garden constructed in her honor, to review and edit the names and couplets assigned to all of the most famous spots, and to hear the celebratory, yet serious, poems everyone has written for the occasion. We begin by discussing temporal discrepancies in this chapter, exploring the relationship between logical contradiction and the oblique logic of dreaming. What does it mean to live in a gilded cage, a shimmering space of ritual and power? And why isn’t musk popular anymore?

Episode 31 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 16 part 2/2
Rereading the Stone
03/01/21 • 50 min
In this episode, Rereading the Stone explores the subtext of a rather oblique discussion between Xifeng and Jia Lian, and Qin Zhong’s descent into the Yellow Springs is excavated. What lies beneath words and symbolic accoutrement, and what does it mean that the Ministers of the Underworld have already heard the legends of the magical jade?

Episode 30 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 16 part 1/2
Rereading the Stone
02/22/21 • 43 min
While Yuan Chun ascends to palace halls of Heavenly Grace, Qin Zhong is dragged away to the Yellow Springs. Why don’t we learn directly what Yuan Chuan thinks of her new position? Is this a commentary on the author’s part? And why can’t Baoyu try harder in his interactions with Lin Daiyu? Why are his gifts so thoughtless? C’mon, man!

Episode 38 Rereading Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Chapter 18 part 3/4
Rereading the Stone
04/21/21 • 79 min
The first part of our deep-dive into the poetry showcased in Chapter 18 celebrating Yuanchun’s visit home. In this part we consider all of the contributions except those in Baoyu’s name. Specific interpretations are offered and critiqued, while general theoretical concerns previously addressed reemerge. How do these poems reflect the personalities (and the fates?) of their creators? What is the relationship between art and artifice when you're a fictional character engaged in artistic creation?
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