Thanks for offering to help, Bob.
When I asked Lao Dong about publishing, he asked me to take care of the arrangements, which I thought strange b/c I assumed he was tight w/ MR people and I don’t know anybody. I guess he’s busy w/ other projects now—the socialist scholars conference for instance. He didn’t say anything about previous attempts at publication, but (Bob), I totally see your point about this being untimely. One thing—you say "book", but I meant to have only Dong’s article published in the MR magazine itself—of course in that case, the timing issue is even more important. But I think a book publication would work better as a collection, also including Mobo Gao’s article "Manufacturing of Truth and Culture of the Elite" (about the CR, previously published in Journal of Contemporary Asia). What do you think about this Mobo? Do any other list members have any ideas about such a collection?
As for publishing the article in MR magazine, Lao Dong, if you have time, please fill us in. Have you sought publication anywhere before?
By the way, Lao Dong or others, does CSG plan to take part in the conference? I've registered to attend, so let me know if there is anything I can do.
[the Handsome Simian Prince]:
he swings his golden-banded cudgel
and shatters the firmament;
his anti-dogmatism is manifested
in doing as he pleases."
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Mao Zedong >From: Rwchina@aol.com >To: stthomas@uchicago.edu, zhongguo@openflows.org >Subject: Re: Forwarded from Dan Vukovich: re-publish Manufacturing History? >Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2004 11:00:20 EST > >Hi all, and Happy New Year, > >Sorry to be slow in getting back on this. I was sick for a few days. I >would be very surprised if the idea of publishing Manufacturing History has not >already been raised at some point with Monthly Review, especially when it first >came out. Has anyone checked with Dong Xulin on this? He has contacts with >the MR folks both directly and through others. Regardless, from past >experience (not on my own work but on others) I am sceptical that they would want to >republish this, especially so long after "Mao's Dr." came out. This has nothing >to do with its quality or interest to them, but more with what they are >likely to think is a viable book for them at this time. But it could not hurt to >approach them again, perhaps with a statement from a wider range of people, >which would indicate public interest--and it could include suggestions for a >series of essays surrounding the two books. I have also thought that they might >be interested in a collection of essays on the situation of the working classes >in China and the prospects for socialism, which could include a version of >the Manufacturing History thesis. But that is obviously a different project. I >think that either/or of these projects might be worth presenting to them, but >only with further thinking about them. > >Robert Weil
