口述/ 夏春錦 記錄/許金艷
桐鄉(xiāng)市的民間讀書社團(tuán)梧桐閱社,到今年已成立十年了。
用中國(guó)閱讀學(xué)研究會(huì)會(huì)長(zhǎng)徐雁教授的話說(shuō):“《梧桐影》(梧桐閱社社刊)聚氣藏風(fēng),積累了一些人脈,刊登了一些佳作,向社會(huì)傳播了一些崇文好書的理念?!?/p>
桐鄉(xiāng)市文化底子好,有充沛的文化資源,有綿延不絕的文脈相承。而來(lái)自民間的力量在繼續(xù)譜寫著桐鄉(xiāng)的閱讀史,也在守住這份書香。
十歲的梧桐閱社的凝聚力強(qiáng)大,桐鄉(xiāng)的讀書愛(ài)好者都愿參加,難得的是,這一群讀書人通過(guò)《梧桐影》也和國(guó)內(nèi)讀書圈活色生香地聯(lián)系了起來(lái)?!芭c‘閱社’有聯(lián)系的外地讀者遍布全國(guó)各地,甚至還有海外人士。”
以下為梧桐閱社社長(zhǎng)、閱讀推廣人夏春錦的口述。
我是福建壽寧人,2008年大學(xué)畢業(yè)后來(lái)到桐鄉(xiāng)。不止一個(gè)人說(shuō)過(guò),說(shuō)我比桐鄉(xiāng)人還了解桐鄉(xiāng)。但這是朋友間的玩笑話,不能當(dāng)真。
2019年1月,《嘉興日?qǐng)?bào)》參與主辦的“好書有約”授予我“2018年度致敬獎(jiǎng)”,授獎(jiǎng)詞里有一句話說(shuō)我“因?yàn)閻?ài)情來(lái)到桐鄉(xiāng),又在這座城市的書香與文化中找到歸宿”。這應(yīng)該說(shuō)是很準(zhǔn)確的,也讓我很受用。
今年,梧桐閱社成立十周年了。我們編的《梧桐影》也已經(jīng)出到十六期。
從沒(méi)想過(guò)《梧桐影》能編到十期以上,當(dāng)時(shí)是抱著編一期是一期的心態(tài),現(xiàn)在想想真是一個(gè)小小的奇跡。要知道我們是沒(méi)有固定的經(jīng)費(fèi)來(lái)源的,也沒(méi)有經(jīng)驗(yàn),沒(méi)有人脈,用南京大學(xué)徐雁教授的話說(shuō),“《梧桐影》是沒(méi)有條件也創(chuàng)造著條件在做”。
夏春錦在其新書發(fā)布會(huì)上發(fā)言。Xia Chunjin speaks at the launch of his new book.
梧桐閱社的成立,最早源自2012年2月的一次書友小聚。張?zhí)旖堋⒂粽鸷?、李春毛和我,被張?zhí)旖芊Q作“四個(gè)人的圓桌派”。他們?nèi)齻€(gè)都是桐鄉(xiāng)人,彼此早就認(rèn)識(shí),我與他們均是初相見。當(dāng)時(shí)張?zhí)旖苓€在讀博士,郁震宏供職于中華書局,李春毛是益智書廊的老板,我在一所職業(yè)類學(xué)校教書。大家的共同點(diǎn)是愛(ài)書,也熱愛(ài)桐鄉(xiāng)地方文化。茫茫人海,竟然坐到了一起,第一次見面,不是在高雅的書桌上,而是街頭的一家館子,喝黃酒,聊的話題不離書人書事,很有點(diǎn)酒逢知己千杯少的意思。
正是這次小聚,讓我們覺(jué)得這樣的機(jī)會(huì)實(shí)在難得,遂萌生了創(chuàng)建一個(gè)桐鄉(xiāng)書友QQ群的想法,名叫“桐城書友薈”。第一個(gè)加入的是張?zhí)旖?,陸續(xù)加入的書友有20余人,為吸引更多的書友參與其中,我擬寫了一則“桐城書友薈英雄帖”發(fā)到群里,并掛到博客中。
很多人說(shuō)讀書是很個(gè)人的事情,這句話沒(méi)有錯(cuò),自己讀書,那當(dāng)然就是自己的事情。你讀一本書,就是與作者對(duì)話,跟別人都不搭界的??墒悄阕x完以后,有所得的時(shí)候,發(fā)現(xiàn)快樂(lè)的時(shí)候,就有一種分享的沖動(dòng)了。
2012的5月12日,這個(gè)時(shí)間我記得非常清楚,11個(gè)書友第一次聚在一起,商討要成立一個(gè)讀書會(huì)。豐子愷先生漫畫里有句話,“今夜故人來(lái)不來(lái),教人立盡梧桐影”。我們這個(gè)讀書會(huì)的名稱就叫梧桐閱社,我們辦的刊物就叫《梧桐影》。
由QQ群到梧桐閱社,再到《梧桐影》,現(xiàn)在感覺(jué)一切都是水到渠成的樣子。辦到現(xiàn)在,應(yīng)該說(shuō)在全國(guó)讀書界的小圈子里還是頗有反響的,這應(yīng)該就是讀書人、愛(ài)好者之間的一種互相取暖。
在提倡全民閱讀的大背景下,各種各樣的讀書會(huì)全國(guó)各地都有,但梧桐閱社有它的獨(dú)特性。第一,完全是民間自發(fā)的;第二,純粹的公益性;第三,與地方文化研究和推廣緊密結(jié)合。
我們有一社,一刊,一沙龍(講會(huì)),一文叢。
所謂“一社一刊”是最先達(dá)成的。沙龍是“伯鴻悅讀沙龍”,講會(huì)則是張?zhí)旖馨l(fā)起和引入的,也是他主持的。他本人是國(guó)學(xué)研究者和推廣者,有這方面的學(xué)識(shí)和經(jīng)驗(yàn),一直希望以所學(xué)造福桑梓。
編文叢是我的創(chuàng)意,2015年主編了“傳貽文叢”。內(nèi)容比較雜,卻是桐鄉(xiāng)寫作者每人以一冊(cè)書的規(guī)模首次集體亮相。
我們過(guò)去也以桐溪書院的名義開展過(guò)國(guó)學(xué)講會(huì),目前正在與相關(guān)機(jī)構(gòu)合作創(chuàng)辦洛溪書院,希望在“雙減”的大背景下,搞一點(diǎn)國(guó)學(xué)教育和鄉(xiāng)土文化教育,來(lái)補(bǔ)充學(xué)校教育和家庭教育的不足。
梧桐閱社無(wú)論是活動(dòng)還是書刊,都緊緊圍繞桐鄉(xiāng)展開。我有一個(gè)認(rèn)識(shí),閱讀推廣可以和腳下這片土地密切聯(lián)系,更何況桐鄉(xiāng)的名人名著不僅僅是桐鄉(xiāng)的,還是全國(guó)的,甚至是世界的,歷代名人的著作不少具有經(jīng)典品質(zhì),有著得天獨(dú)厚的條件和豐厚的資源。因?yàn)榻拥貧猓员镜厝俗x起來(lái)更親切,更來(lái)勁,這是非常值得推廣的。
《梧桐影》走到今天,靠的也是讀者的這種支持,還有作者的支持。
有前輩說(shuō)過(guò),雜志要編得好,編者得是個(gè)雜家。
我本來(lái)就是一個(gè)喜歡書、愛(ài)讀書的人,但總覺(jué)得個(gè)人的世界還是太有局限性,也太小。到桐鄉(xiāng)后,梧桐閱社和《梧桐影》成為我走向更廣闊的讀書世界的一個(gè)契機(jī)。
湖州有位老先生叫徐重慶,當(dāng)?shù)責(zé)o論是年長(zhǎng)的還是年幼的,大家都稱他為先生。他是一個(gè)傳奇的民間文化人士,跟外界的交流也是很多的,包括跟茅盾也有來(lái)往。
他在世的時(shí)候,我曾經(jīng)去拜訪過(guò)他,他住在他的“人間過(guò)路書齋”,家里最好的位置都讓給了書。
還有出版家鐘叔河先生和畫家陳丹青先生,對(duì)我們一直很關(guān)注,《梧桐影》的定位得到過(guò)他們的認(rèn)可,這對(duì)我們是極大的鼓勵(lì)。
跟這些人交往,你不單單去讀他們的文章,還能夠領(lǐng)略到他們的風(fēng)采,書人合一,是非常有意思的事情。
現(xiàn)在很多人都覺(jué)得我是一個(gè)研究木心的人,其實(shí)這也是跟我們這個(gè)雜志有關(guān)。
《梧桐影》辦到第五期的時(shí)候,我們其中一個(gè)編委提出來(lái),是不是應(yīng)該給木心編一期紀(jì)念專輯。作為主要的編者,而且也是一個(gè)有史料癖的人,我覺(jué)得在這樣一本故鄉(xiāng)讀者做的紀(jì)念專輯里,應(yīng)該給木心整理一份年表性質(zhì)的東西。
“《詩(shī)經(jīng)》里的家常草木—郁震宏新書《詩(shī)經(jīng)草木》分享會(huì)”在桐鄉(xiāng)市新華書店舉行。An event featuring Plants in the Classic of Poetry, a book by Yu Zhenhong, is held at the Xinhua Bookstore in Tongxiang city.
就是這樣一個(gè)機(jī)緣,我把木心的著作買來(lái),大致翻了一遍,整理了一萬(wàn)字左右的一個(gè)生平紀(jì)要,放在這一期里面。
通過(guò)這樣一次閱讀,我發(fā)現(xiàn)木心的有些作品還是很有感覺(jué)的,比如那篇《童年隨之而去》??梢哉f(shuō),我是通過(guò)了解木心生平這樣一個(gè)切入點(diǎn),讀懂了木心相對(duì)寫實(shí)的一批作品。《梧桐影》“木心紀(jì)念專輯”的編印直接促發(fā)了我對(duì)木心的研究。
我也覺(jué)得梧桐閱社和桐鄉(xiāng)的讀書傳統(tǒng)是一脈相承的。
抱團(tuán)讀書是讀書人的一個(gè)傳統(tǒng),在文化氛圍濃厚的江南,更是如此。結(jié)社在桐鄉(xiāng)是有傳統(tǒng)的,從兩宋直至民國(guó),桐鄉(xiāng)境內(nèi)常有文人結(jié)社。
像濮院的聚桂文會(huì),元代時(shí)就已經(jīng)很有名了。當(dāng)時(shí),濮氏家族邀請(qǐng)文壇領(lǐng)袖楊維楨到濮院來(lái)主持聚桂文會(huì),通過(guò)他的影響力,號(hào)召一批江南的文人參與其中,影響非常大。
呂留良發(fā)起的澄社,最多的時(shí)候,江南有千余人參與其中,影響力也是非常大的。
離我們近一點(diǎn)的茅盾、豐子愷、孔另境、錢君匋、金仲華等,這些人都是互相有來(lái)往的,也有合作,彼此也互相影響。20世紀(jì)一二十年代,茅盾、沈澤民等還成立過(guò)桐鄉(xiāng)青年社。
桐鄉(xiāng)的書香底蘊(yùn)深厚,還能從桐鄉(xiāng)人長(zhǎng)久不衰的藏書與著述之風(fēng)中看得出來(lái)。這里自古以來(lái)就有文人學(xué)士藏書、讀書、著述的傳統(tǒng)。
我也常說(shuō),一兩百年以后,人家回過(guò)頭來(lái)看我們這個(gè)讀書群體,應(yīng)該也是蠻有意思的。我們這個(gè)群體的人數(shù)和桐鄉(xiāng)百萬(wàn)人口的基數(shù)比起來(lái),是不多的,但和其他地方讀書群體比起來(lái),又覺(jué)得是不少的。我們的社友,每個(gè)人都有一技之長(zhǎng),都有自己的研究方向和研究成果。有人說(shuō),我們是在書寫桐鄉(xiāng)的閱讀史,也是和桐鄉(xiāng)結(jié)社傳統(tǒng)的一種呼應(yīng)。
我一直覺(jué)得桐鄉(xiāng)的讀書人是可愛(ài)的,也是可信的。桐鄉(xiāng)文化底蘊(yùn)深厚,讀書人多,老中青少各年齡段都有,還有代表性人物。他們分布于各個(gè)年齡層,有不同的職業(yè),但隊(duì)伍整齊,人數(shù)多,非常難得,特別是老先生有很好的垂范作用,大家容易被帶動(dòng)起來(lái)。
桐鄉(xiāng)本地的師友,很多人都從事桐鄉(xiāng)地方文化文史的研究和整理,像這樣一個(gè)群體,像這一代桐鄉(xiāng)文化的研究者,可以把他們稱為桐鄉(xiāng)文脈的守望者。
地方文脈的傳承,研究肯定是重要的一種手段,在研究中傳承,在研究中弘揚(yáng)。
這幾年大家也經(jīng)常說(shuō)起小鎮(zhèn)文學(xué)。以前,木心他們?cè)跒蹑?zhèn)辦過(guò)油印物《泡沫》,濮院現(xiàn)在有份辦了三十多年的《梅涇文學(xué)》,崇福的叫《崇德文苑》。
我覺(jué)得不能輕視小鎮(zhèn)文學(xué),茅盾不是從小鎮(zhèn)出來(lái)的嗎?豐子愷不也是從小鎮(zhèn)出來(lái)的嗎?木心也是從小鎮(zhèn)出來(lái)的。茅盾在烏鎮(zhèn)的時(shí)候,豐子愷在石門的時(shí)候,木心在烏鎮(zhèn)的時(shí)候,他們通過(guò)周邊的親友,特別是通過(guò)大量的課外閱讀,打開了視野。他們個(gè)個(gè)都是書蟲,都非常熱愛(ài)書籍,讀了大量的書,而且非常有意思的是他們?cè)诤线m的年齡都讀到了比較合適的讀物。應(yīng)該說(shuō)是小鎮(zhèn)滋養(yǎng)了他們。
這些大家是小鎮(zhèn)文學(xué)最重要的一部分。某種意義上,他們是小鎮(zhèn)文學(xué)的最高結(jié)晶。我們不能輕視小鎮(zhèn)文學(xué),也不能夠輕視一個(gè)小鎮(zhèn)上出現(xiàn)的讀書的刊物或者說(shuō)文學(xué)的刊物。
我現(xiàn)在在圖書館工作了,朋友說(shuō)我是老鼠掉到米缸里?,F(xiàn)在主要負(fù)責(zé)地方文獻(xiàn)這一塊。文學(xué)也好,閱讀也好,對(duì)于我來(lái)講就是一種生活方式。
我們努力工作,努力賺錢,當(dāng)然是要吃飯,要有房子住,可是吃飽了飯,房子也有了,難道就滿足于這些了嗎?還是要尋找一點(diǎn)能夠填補(bǔ)自己內(nèi)心空白的東西。
有句話說(shuō),你若讀書,風(fēng)雅自來(lái)。我想說(shuō),風(fēng)雅莫過(guò)于讀書。我理解的風(fēng)雅,是風(fēng)度,是風(fēng)神,是一種文藝的生活方式,是詩(shī)意的棲居。
在“桐鄉(xiāng)記憶”鄉(xiāng)土文化沙龍第十五期上,中國(guó)現(xiàn)代文學(xué)館研究館員、詩(shī)人北塔主講《茅盾書信之“旨”“趣”》。Xu Weifeng, a poet and literary researcher also known as Bei Ta, delivers a lecture on Mao Dun’s letters in the 15th session of a lecture series in Tongxiang.
Narrated by Xia Chunjin Transcribed by Xu Jinyan
, Shadow of Wutong,
In 2008, fresh out of college, I came to Tongxiang. A nonnative, I have been jokingly described as being more local than the locals. The story of the club all started in February 2012 when four book-lovers, Zhang Tianjie, Yu Zhenhong, Li Chunmao and me, though with different occupations, got together at a restaurant because of our shared love for reading and local culture.We chatted heartily about our common hobby over cups of yellow wine. Out of the gathering grew the idea to create a group chat for local readers on QQ, an instant messaging software service. Its first member was Tianjie followed by 20 more. In order to attract more members, I wrote a recruitment letter and posted it in the group chat and on Sina blog, the Chinese blogging platform.
On May 12, eleven members met for a kick-off discussion about starting a reading club. The names of the club and its journal were inspired by a cartoon caption by Feng Zikai (1898-1975), a pioneering Chinese cartoonist.
In January 2019 I was granted the 2018 Annual Tribute Award from. In the award speech, the speaker introduced me as someone who had moved for love to Tongxiang whose favorable reading environment and abundant culture gave him a strong sense of belonging.
The year of 2022 witnesses the club journal’s sixteenth issue,an achievement we never thought would be possible when faced with a lack of funds, skills and connections from the beginning.The success of the journal, in the words of Prof. Xu, is a real-life example of making the impossible possible.
Looking back, I feel like almost everything came naturally whenever circumstances were right. Today, the club has become influential in its kind around China, a testament to what is possible when readers come together in a spirit of partnership.
China’s nationwide reading campaign has given birth to various book clubs across the land. Ours is unique in that it is a non-profit entity for the study and promotion of local culture. The club features a journal, an anthology and regular lectures. The journal came first followed by the lectures initiated and hosted by Tianjie who had always hoped to contribute to his hometown with his expertise in Chinese studies. Presently we are making cross-organizational efforts to establish a new academy for incorporating both Chinese studies and local culture into learning,as a complement to classroom teaching and family education. The anthology was my idea. In 2015, I edited, nine of which were by nine local authors.
Our activities and publications center on Tongxiang because I believe advocacy for reading should go hand in hand with local culture promotion, especially when the city boasts literary celebrities and great literary works. The practice of producing culturally relevant literature is an effective way to engage people in reading, as proved by the positive responses from local readers.The concerted efforts of readers and writers have made our journal what it is today.
“《文學(xué)的魯濱遜:木心的前半生》《木心考索》出版座談會(huì)”在桐鄉(xiāng)市圖書館舉行。A publishing event on Mu Xin is held at Tongxiang Municipal Library.
在鄉(xiāng)土文化沙龍第三期上,由陳勇主講《漫話清代烏鎮(zhèn)進(jìn)士陸以湉》。Chen Yong delivers a lecture on Lu Yitian, a Qing dynasty scholar of ficial from Tongxiang.
My roles at the club have introduced me to a vast range of writers. Mr. Xu Chongqing, from Huzhou city, Zhejiang province,was one such example. The respectable scholar of folk culture was in close contact with lots of eminent people in the cultural field.His home packed with books left me a deep impression after paying him a visit. Besides, the publisher Zhong Shuhe and the artist Chen Danqing, who support our positioning strategies for the club journal, have given constant attention to its development,which is a tremendous encouragement for us.
In preparation for the fifth issue of the journal, an editorial board member proposed that we do a commemorative issue dedicated to Mu Xin (1927-2011), an artist and writer born in Wuzhen, a historical town of Tongxiang. I subscribed to the proposal largely because it would generate a special edition made by Mu’s fellow readers. Just like that, I started reading his books,based on which I wrote a ten-thousand-word chronological narrative of his life for the journal. The whole experience provided me with an entry point through which I was able to understand some of his realistic works, thus exploring his literary world.
Reading has brought me closer to varied writers, which has been a truly fascinating journey.
In my view, what we have been doing at the club is to carry on the city’s reading tradition. Organizing literary groups has been a time-honored practice predominantly found among the literati in the regions south of the Yangtze River, like Tongxiang,from the Song dynasty (960-1279) up to the Republican era(1912-1949). A typical example is the literary society organized by the Pu Clan in the Yuan dynasty (1206-1368), who invited a prominent scholar to lead the community. His followers came in great numbers, making it an influential one at its time. Another noteworthy group, initiated by the poet Lyu Liuliang (1629-1683),boasted over one thousand members at its peak time.
In the 1920s, the novelist Mao Dun (1896-1981) and his younger brother Shen Zemin (1900-1933) set up the Tongxiang Youth Society. Mao and other notable literary figures’ collaborative pursuits exerted influence upon each other.
The total number of our club members is small, compared with the one million population of Tongxiang, but big enough compared with its counterparts in China. As experts in their own fields, our members all have participated in shaping the reading history of Tongxiang, paying homage to the rich legacy of the land.
Tongxiang has a large number of readers across various age and occupation groups, among whom senior scholars have acted as positive role models. Besides, many of my friends and teachers here are researchers on local culture and literature history, who constitute a generation of heritage guardians.
In recent years, small town literature, a genre that well deserves attention, has been a popular topic. Publications of this kind can be found in Tongxiang’s small towns like Wuzhen,Puyuan and Chongfu. Writers of big influence including Mao Dun, Feng Zikai and Mu Xin have broadened their horizons through extensive and age-appropriate reading in their hometowns. In a sense, they represent the quintessence of this type of literature, whose role and that of the publications should never be underestimated.
Luckily, I now work at a library responsible for the local studies collection. Reading has become my way of life. We all work hard for food and shelter, but is that all? How about going beyond those basic needs and doing something more to fill the emptiness in our hearts?
For me, reading is the road to grace and elegance, not only in terms of manners, but also to add poetic charm to our lives.