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In a Bronze Mirror: Eileen Chang’s Life and Literature

Eileen Chang's Life and Legacy

Eileen Chang (張愛玲/Zhang Ailing, 1920-1995) is one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century. Chang was born in Shanghai to an aristocratic family. In 1939, she began studying literature at the University of Hong Kong, before returning to Shanghai amidst the escalation of WWII. She subsequently published a number of short stories and novels that would catalyze her literary stardom, including The First Incense of the Burner (第一爐香), Love In A Fallen City (傾城之戀), and Sealed Off (封鎖). In 1944, Chang married Hu Lancheng (胡蘭成), a Japanese sympathizer, then divorced him in 1947 due to his infidelity. In 1952, she returned to Hong Kong, and three years later, moved to the United States. There, Chang married the American writer Ferdinand Reyher, who passed away in 1967. Chang continued to write novels and screenplays, translated the 1894 Qing novel, The Sing-Song Girls of Shanghai (海上花列傳), and took up positions at various American universities.

Chang moved to Los Angeles in 1972. Over the years, she frequently corresponded with Chinese literary critic and Columbia University Professor C.T. Hsia (夏志清), who promoted Chang’s work throughout the United States. These letters extensively discuss Chang’s work and life and signal the author’s increasing reclusion and movement to various addresses in Los Angeles. Chang passed away in 1995. As per her last will and testament, her landlord, Stone Lin, together with others, scattered Chang’s ashes into the Pacific Ocean. A friend of Lin, Professor Dominic Cheung (張錯) taught Chinese and Comparative Literature at USC. While Cheung studied Chang’s writings, he, respectful of her reclusive lifestyle, never met her. Following Chang’s death, Lin requested Cheung’s assistance in carrying out the sea burial, dealing with the press, and shipping her belongings, bequeathed to friends Stephen and Mae Soong, to Hong Kong. Recognizing the significance of Chang’s literary legacy, Cheung collaborated with the Soongs, who donated a rich repository of Chang’s articles, essays, speeches, correspondences, manuscripts, and photographs, establishing the special collection of Zhang Ailing (Eileen Chang) Papers in USC’s Library.

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Eileen Chang with her father, mother, aunt and two nephews， [s.d.] Eileen Chang is sitting with her parents, aunt and her cousin by the table drinking tea. Another cousin is standing beside the table. This picture is taken in a small house in Tianjin with no lawn. The people wearing glasses are my dad and aunt while the rest is my mother, two cousins and Niu'er's siblings. My mom left me a picture of my dad but I lost it. I wrote a poem on the cardboard of the photo studio but I can only remember few of the sentences. -- "Dui Zhao ji"，p 008; 张爱玲与她的父亲，母亲，姑姑和两个大侄侄的照片，[s.d.]. 张爱玲与她的父亲，母亲，姑姑和一个大侄侄坐在桌旁一起喝茶，另一个大侄子站在桌边。"在天津家里，一个比较简朴的半旧花园洋房，没草坪。戴眼镜的是我的父亲，我姑姑，余为我母亲与两个大侄侄，妞儿的弟兄们。我母亲故后遗物中有我父亲的一张照片，被我弄丢了。看来是直奉战争的时候寄到英国去的，在照相馆的硬纸夹上提了一首七绝，第一，第三句我只记得开首与大意:才听津门([金甲鸣]?是我瞎猜，[鸣]字大概也不押韵。) 又闻塞上鼓声声书生(自愧只坐拥书城?) 两字平安报予卿因为他娶了妾，又吸上鸦片，她终于藉口我姑姑出国留学需要女伴监护，同去英国，一去四年。他一直催她回来，答应戒毒，姨太太也走了。回来也还是离了婚。他总是叫我不要怪我父亲。"-- 对照记，p 008
Eileen Chang with her aunt and niece, ca.1923-1924. To the left is my aunt while to the right is my niece Niu'er. She's young and her grandfather Zhang Renjun is my cousin. I was about three or four years old at the time and since my aunt has left the country when I was four years old, my expression is tight. -- "Dui Zhao Ji"，p 004; 张爱玲与他的姑姑和堂侄女妞儿的照片，ca. 1923-1924. "左边是我姑姑，右边是堂侄女妞儿，她辈分小，她的祖父张人骏是我祖父的堂侄。我至多三四岁，因为我四岁那年夏天我姑姑就出国了，不会在这里。我的面色仿佛有点来意不善“-- 对照记，p 004
A letter from Eileen Chang to C.T. Hsia, 1984. In this letter dated December 26, Eileen Chang lost some mails due to moving. She also thanks Hsia for writing letter to Ping Xingtao regarding Tang Wenbiao. She is waiting to read "Ji Chuang Ji", and the introduction by Song Qi is touching. The envelope has USPS 20 cents-stamp with dated stamp of 27 Dec 1984 Los Angeles is addressed to "Professor C.T. Hsia, 415 West 115th St., Apt. 22, New York, N.Y. 10025" from address "Reyher, 1626 N. Wilcox. #645, Hollywood, CA 90028."; 張愛玲寄給夏志清的信,1984. 這封信註明12月26日寫的. 張愛玲提到因為搬家而丟失了一些信. 並感謝夏志清寫信給平鑫濤關於唐文標的事. 她正在等待閱讀"雞窗集", 並說宋淇的序十分動人. 信封上有一張20分錢的郵票, 郵政戳印日期為1984年12月27日於加州洛杉磯, 並有收件人地址"Professor C.T. Hsia, 415 West 115th St., Apt. 22, New York, N.Y. 10025" 及寄件人地址"Reyher, 1626 N. Wilcox. #645, Hollywood, CA 90028."
A letter from Eileen Chang to C.T. Hsia, 1988. In this letter dated December 14, Eileen Chang explains that she accidentally lost some important mails last time when she moved. She asks the editor in Huang Guan to send her book "Hong Lou Meng Yan" to Hsia, but due to miscommunication that this matter has been delayed for a long time. She also discusses about Hsia's new work "Pin Lun Ji" with Hsia. May and Steven Song have been sick on and off. The envelope has USPS 25 cents-stamp with dated stamp of 16 Dec 1988 Los Angeles is addressed to "Professor C.T. Hsia, 415 W. 115th St., Apt. 22, New York, N.Y. 10025" from address "Reyher, 1626 N. Wilcox Av., #645, Hollywood, CA 90028."; 張愛玲寄給夏志清的信,1988. 這封信註明12月14日寫的. 張愛玲解釋上回搬家不小心把一些重要信件搞丟了. 請皇冠編輯寄"紅樓夢饜"卻因筆誤一拖再拖. 並與夏討論夏的作品"評論集". May & Steven Song 輪流生病. 信封上有一張二十五分錢的郵票, 郵政戳印日期為1988年12月16日于加州洛杉磯, 並有收件人地址"Professor C.T. Hsia, 415 W. 115th St., Apt. 22, New York, N.Y. 10025" 及寄件人地址"Reyher, 1626 N. Wilcox Av., #645, Hollywood, CA 90028."
A letter from Eileen Chang to C.T. Hsia, 1974. In this letter dated June 9, Eileen Chang mentions about her old short stories: "Lian Huan Tao", "Chuang Shi Ji", "Yin Baoyan Song Hua Lou Hui", "Hong Bai Mei Gui", "Shi Ba Chun", and "Tan Kan Shu". She also talks about her research study on Ding Ling. Then she asks Hsia to help her search for books in Columbia University Library. The envelope has USPS 13 cents-airmail stamp with dated stamp of 10 June 1974 Los Angeles. CA is addressed to "Professor C.T. Hsia, 415 West 115th St., Apt. 22, New York, N.Y. 10025" from address "Chang, 1825 N. Kingsley Dr., Apt. 305, Hollywood, CA 90027."; 張愛玲寄給夏志清的信,1974. 這封信註明年6月9日寫的. 張愛玲提到幾篇舊的小說"連環套", "創世紀", "殷寶灩送花樓會", "紅白玫瑰", "十八春", 及"談看書". 也提到寫丁玲的研究. 並請夏志清至哥大圖書館幫忙找書. 信封上有一個十三分錢的空運郵票, 郵政戳印日期為1974年6月10日洛杉磯, 並有收件人地址"Professor C.T. Hsia, 415 West 115th St., Apt. 22, New York, N.Y. 10025" 及寄件人地址"Chang, 1825 N. Kingsley Dr., Apt. 305, Hollywood, CA 90027."
Letter from C.T. Hsia to Eileen Chang, ca. 1988. This letter is dated on October 29, 1988. In this letter, C.T. Hsia talks about his teeth problem. He has received the books "Hai Shang Hua" and "Hong Lou Meng Yan". Then he discusses with Eileen Chang about the design of the book covers. The USPS 25 cents envelope with dated stamp 31 Oct 1988 New York is addressed to "Ms. Eileen Chang Reyher, 433 S. Lake St., Apt. 322, Los Angeles, CA 90037" from "C.T. Hsia, Columbia University, New York, N. Y. 10027, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures."; 夏志清寄給張愛玲的信, ca. 1988. 這封信註明1988年10月29日寫的. 夏說收到張的信是件大事.信中提到牙齒等事. 並收到國語"海上花", "紅樓夢饜"，信中還提到師陀和宋淇夫婦. 信封上有25分錢的郵票印章, 郵政戳印日期為1988年10月31日, 信封上有收件人地址"Ms. Eileen Chang Reyher, 433 S. Lake St., Apt. 322, Los Angeles, CA 90037 "及寄件人地址"C.T. Hsia, Columbia University, New York, N. Y. 10027, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures."
A letter from Eileen Chang to C.T. Hsia, 1988. In this letter dated April 6, Eileen Chang mentions that she lived in Valleys recent years and moved frequently and saw the skin doctor and detistor. She also says that she would like to write a article about the war between human beings and insects. She also talks about the letter from Zheng Xulei and Shui Jing's article. The envelope has USPS domestic-stamp with dated stamp of 8 Apr 1988 Los Angeles is addressed to "Professor C.T. Hsia, 415 W. 115th St., Apt. 22, New York, N.Y. 10025" from address "Reyher, 245 So. Reno St., Apt. 9, Los Angeles, CA 90057."; 張愛玲寄給夏志清的信,1988. 這封信註明4月6日寫的. 張愛玲信中提到這兩年住在郊區,常搬家,看皮膚醫生和牙醫. 有意寫人虫大戰的文章. 信中另提到鄭緒雷的信,水晶的文章. 信封上有一張國內的郵票, 郵政戳印日期為1988年4月8日于加州洛杉磯, 並有收件人地址"Professor C.T. Hsia, 415 W. 115th St., Apt. 22, New York, N.Y. 10025" 及寄件人地址"Reyher, 245 So. Reno St., Apt. 9, Los Angeles, CA 90057."