{"product_id":"writing-empire-and-self-xiaofei-tian-9780231223140","title":"Writing Empire and Self: Poetic and Cultural Transformation in Early Medieval China","description":"\u003cp\u003eChina'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? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Xiaofei Tian\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0231223145\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780231223140\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Columbia University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/11\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 408\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.26lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.21h x 6.14w x 0.91d","brand":"Xiaofei Tian","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":49083985821951,"sku":"9780231223140","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/writing-empire-and-self-xiaofei-tian-9780231223140","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}