David Andrew Knight

“Plain Becomes Patterned: Li Deyu and the White Lotus”

Friday, November 11, 4-6 PM

CEAS 319 (1155 E 60th St)

Discussant:

Yiren Zheng (EALC)

The East Asia: Transregional Histories Workshop, in conjunction with the Art and Politics of East Asia Workshop, is delighted to host David Andrew Knight next Friday, 11/11. Below is a brief abstract of the work:

This paper is part of a larger project that situates the fu 賦 poetry of the ninth century minister Li Deyu 李德裕 (787-850) within the context of his life. Through the focal point of a fu poem about a white lotus flower written by Li Deyu, one of the most powerful men of his day, I will demonstrate how this poem captures a retrievable moment of poetic creation. I have discovered that Li Deyu’s fu poem on the white lotus is a literary recreation of his encounter with the fifteen year old Xu Pan who was soon to become his concubine. By analyzing a key stanza in the poem, I will illuminate the links between Li’s literary life and his real life.

The paper can be found at the East Asia: Transregional Histories workshop website at this link. The password is “lotus”. Please do not cite or circulate this paper without express permission of the author.

As always, first-time attendees are welcome. Light refreshments and snacks will be served.

If you have any questions or require assistance to attend, please contact Jessa Dahl at jdahl@uchicago.edu or Erin Newton at emnewton@uchicago.edu.