Hockx, who is not further identified, highlights the strong preferences of Chinese literary authors to work in literary societies and to publish in literary journals during the Republican era, 1911 to 1949. Though literary societies have a venerable history in Chinese culture and literary journals are a product of modern print culture, he argues that they are intimately related, and in so doing draws some conclusions about the persistence of traditional literary conventions and values in modern Chinese literary practice. Some of the chapters have been published previously. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)