"The Gay Genius, The Life and Times of Su Tungpo" by Lin Yutang, published by John Day Co., New York, 1947.

Hard boards, original publisher's black cloth with blue embossed signature stamp of Su Tung-Po on the front board, gilt lettering and blue box on spine; [spine fade and a a little spine ends wear]; 5.3/4" x 8.1/2"; xi + map of China in the time of Su Tungpo + 427 pages including Index, and a block of illustrations on glossy paper. Very good condition.

"...The word "gay" did not have its current connotations back in the 1940s. But a fascinating look at the life of a cultured bureaucrat in Sung-dynasty China who was repeatedly purged and exiled for being a political dissident- including against a program of what Lin Yutang calls (perhaps in an anachronism) "state capitalism" that was driving farmers into debt.” [a private review]

Su Tung-Po (1037-1101) was a Chinese poet, writer, artist, and statesman during China's Song era. He is also known as Po Su Shi, Su Shih, and Su Dongpo. He published under the pseudonym Dongpo Jushi.

Su Tung-Po spent most of his life employed in various governmental positions. His poetry and prose often put him at odds with ruling factions, and he was twice banished from different provinces. These banishments and the small stipends allotted to government officials encouraged him to take up Buddhist meditation. His poetry is infused with Buddhist philosophy, as well as with Confucianism.

He is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished figures in classical Chinese literature, having produced some of the most well-known poems, lyrics, prose, and essays. Su Shi was famed as an essayist, and his prose writings lucidly contribute to the understanding of topics such as 11th-century Chinese travel literature or detailed information on the contemporary Chinese iron industry. His poetry has a long history of popularity and influence in China, Japan, and other areas in the near vicinity and is well known in the English-speaking parts of the world through the translations by Arthur Waley, among others. In terms of the arts, Su Shi has some claim to being "the pre-eminent personality of the eleventh century." Among the topics he wrote on was cuisine, where he is considered to have had a profound influence. Dongpo pork, a prominent dish in Hangzhou cuisine, is named in his honor.

Lin Yutang (1895-1976) was a Chinese inventor, linguist, novelist, philosopher, and translator. His informal but polished style in both Chinese and English made him one of the most influential writers of his generation, and his compilations and translations of classic Chinese texts into English were bestsellers in the West.

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