“Gossip and Reputation in Early Medieval China”

The Shishuo xinyu, a medieval Chinese collection of anecdotes, seems to consist largely of gossipy accounts and a fascination with reputation. Indeed, the figures who stand at the heart of the collection are referred to (both in the text and in later periods) as mingshi or “gentlemen of reputation.” In this talk, Professor Chen will discuss some recent accounts of gossip as constitutive of society and social networks, and then turn to a reading of a selection of anecdotes that illustrate how gossip is framed and thematized in the collection.