China and the West

Letters from Virginia Woolf.
Letter from Virginia Woolf to Vanessa Bell ; 17 July, 1935.
I was just sitting down to write to you last nicht when Julian [Bell] came in to say that he has got the Chinese professorship. You will have heard from him already. He seemed very excited, though also rather alarmed at the prospect. I wish it weren't for so long – though he says he can come back after a year. Still I suppose it's a great chance, and means that he will easily get something in England afterwards. Leonard thinks it an extraordinarily interesting job as it will mean being in the thick of Chinese politics, and Julian also felt this – what it means Chinese politics, I don’t know, nor I suppose to you. We had a long talk, and he was very charming and said that he felt it was time he made a complete break.

Letter from Virginia Woolf to Julian Bell ; 14 Oct., 1935.
We are all well in health, and spry in spirit ; but rather miss you, and I wish Q. wasn't going up to the potteries, however I rather suspect we shall make a push and come to China.

Letter from Virginia Woolf to Julian Bell ; 25 Oct., 1935.
Then Leonard heard from Tyrrell, whom you had also charmed. And now you are in your official residence on the banks of the Yangtse. Its useless to ask what youre doing at the moment much though I want o know.

Letter from Virginia Woolf to Julian Bell ; 1st Dec., 1935.
P.M. We have just been to the Chinese show, about which I don’t expect you want information…

Letter from Vanessa Bell to Julian Bell ; 7 Dec. 1935.
[About the first International Chinese exhibition of Art, Burlington House, London].
All London has gone Chinese… all the great dresses are going to be Chinese and no one talks of anything but Chinese art.

Letter from Virginia Woolf to Lady Ottoline Morrell ; 5 Jan., 1936.
We shall be back at the end of the week I think, and then I must go to the Chinese again – my one visit was as usual ruined by trying to dodge old friends (not you). And I'ver just been reading about the Chinese in some letters of Rogers [Fry] – he did all his off hand art criticism in letters, and I think its sometimes better than the printed – so fertile, so suggestive. [Exhibition of Chinese Art, The Royal Academy].

Letter from Virginia Woolf to Julian Bell ; 2 May, 1936.
I feel instinctively that China is a little like a blue pot ; love a little flowery ; leaning a little scented.

Letter from Virginia Woolf to Julian Bell ; 31 May 1936.
[Julian Bell wrote to Virginia Woolf he wished he were in Sichuan or Peiping.]
I hope now you are not dismal ; still it's a curse, your being so far away and then expect the mitigated culture of your university is rather like skimmed milk… In fact I think you are much to be envied. I wish I had spent three years in China at your age…

Letter from Virginia Woolf to Julian Bell ; 14 Nov., 1936.
Charles [Mauron] dined with us last night, and talked about you. He says for Gods sage don't leave China and come to fight in France – in Which I think he is right ; but no doubt he has said so already… Yes – tell me, what your amorous entanglements are ? I swear I wont reveal them. What about the Chinese ladies ? Are you wanting to come home ? What about a book on China ? We're having a bad season ; no one buys fiction… A Chinese evelope is a very nice sight, even though your pen is – well, a great black spider.

Letter from Virginia Woolf to Vanessa Bell ; Saturday Oct., 1937.
Thank you for sending [Richard] Rees' letter. It gives me the feeling I had when Julian came back from China…