Some "coffee" can't be drunk.

To say that "some 'coffee' is undrinkable" is not related to the origin, variety and taste of the coffee, but that as a book critic or critic, the coffee invited by some people should not be drunk or should not be drunk!

Recently, in Beijing, he talked with Chen Chong, a veteran writer and critic in Hebei, about how critics deal with their relationship with writers. He said that there is a phenomenon abroad: if someone finds a book critic sitting with a writer drinking coffee, it will become a "scandal", directly affecting the reputation and credibility of the book critic. It is probably questionable whether he can continue to "muddle through" in this business as a book critic. What will be the consequences if someone finds out that a book critic is drinking coffee with a bookseller? Oh, it's incredible.

In the contemporary Chinese literary world, critics seldom criticize writers and works because of the scarcity of objective, impartial and independent book reviews. one of the important reasons is that most critics and writers "mix" too well. Not only do they drink coffee together, they often meet at various pen clubs, seminars and other literary activities, and then change the wine and even call them brothers. For critics and writers based on such a "gay plus brotherly" relationship, can we expect to read critical articles that are truly public-minded, "good for good and bad for bad"?

When I see a review article that "touts" a work, I always subconsciously wonder what is the relationship between the author and the person being reviewed.

In this way, critics and writers should be "natural enemies" and should be "out of touch with each other"? Of course, I hope that critics and writers will be friends at the wine table, and when they write critical articles on the desk, they will immediately change their roles, change their faces, and be ruthless and truthful. I certainly hope that the critics will be tolerant and broad-minded. Understand the good starting point and intentions of the critics. If so, it would be good for both sides to reach such a level. If the critic drinks coffee with the writer, it will not affect the critic's independent judgment and vision. However, because of the inherent weakness of human nature, it is no less difficult to establish such a high-level relationship than to cut through difficulties on the "Shu Road".

Clifford Nass, an American scholar, is entitled "will you lie to your computer?" in the book, it talks about a psychological experiment done by automakers on drivers, which illustrates a common psychological instinct towards criticism. For the sake of driving safety, a car manufacturer has developed and designed a set of software for truck and taxi drivers to remind them of all kinds of safety-threatening problems while driving. In the experiment, it is found that the effect is completely opposite to the original intention of the designer. When the driver is speeding and turning too fast, the system prompts: "you are not driving very well, please be careful!" The driver was so annoyed that he not only did not take the hint, but also began to oversteer and make small and rapid adjustments to the direction of the wheel. The system immediately prompted: "you are driving very badly at the moment!" After hearing this, the driver twisted his facial muscles angrily, put on the fast gear, shuttled between different lanes without turning on the signal, and finally collided with another car.

Can you expect a writer to buy you coffee even after he has written a critical article? Writers are also human beings, and their mind to accommodate criticism is no bigger than that of car drivers. The rational attitude is that if you want to take the job of a critic, you'd better keep a distance from the writer and not drink or drink less of the writer's "coffee"! As for the purpose of some critics writing articles is to ask for a cup of "coffee" to drink, or even to form a community of interests between critics and writers, the relationship between them has become a relationship between sitting in a sedan chair and lifting a sedan chair.

China Coffee Trading Network: www.gafei.com