A Platform with No Timetable

A Taiwanese businessman is forced to serve as a pimp for a group of seven Japanese men in his home village of Chiao-hsi. The formerly well-respected Ah-Le and his wife bear the weight of shame that his impotence has brought upon them. A young man drives his sister and her friends along the treacherous Taipei-Yilan high-way as they hunger for the ghost stories surrounding Muddy-Water River...Taking us deep into Taiwans rural villages beyond the bustling cities of Kaohsiung and Taipei Huang Chun-ming introduces us to a cast of characters at once eccentric and familiar. With his trademark blend of cynicism and warmth Huangs stories combine national consciousness with humor and heart offering a candid look into Taiwans rural lives. From portraits of ordinary people to modern-day folk tales to heartfelt contemplations on the Taiwanese identity this collection showcases the astute compassion of one of Taiwans most celebrated literary minds.Contents: Sayonara/Zaijian (1973) Bright Red Shrimps-An Anecdote about Limp Dick Le-zai (1974) Mr. Presently (1986) Blind Ah-mu (1986) Swatting Flies (1986) The Ghost-eater Is Here (1998) A Story of Nine Fingers (1998) The Last Phoenix (1999) Listen to Me All You Deities (2002) Variations on a Canarys Lament (2002) A Platform with No Timetable (2005) Dragon-eye Well (2005)