Qu You (1347-1433), whose style name was Zongji and literary name Cunzhai, was a famous scholar and poet of the Ming Dynasty. He is the author of almost thirty books in different genres; however, only one-third of them are extant. New Stories Told while Trimming the Wick earned him the most fame and acclaim.
Zhenjun Zhang is Professor of Chinese and Coordinator of Asian Studies Program at St. Lawrence University, author of Buddhism and Tales of the Supernatural in Early Medieval China (2014), translator of Hidden and Visible Realms: Early Medieval Chinese Tales of the Supernatural and the Fantastic (2018), and co-editor (with Victor Mair) of Anthology of Tang and Song Tales: The Tang Song Chuanqi ji of Lu Xun (2020) and Classic Chinese Poems of Mourning and Texts of Lament (2024).
Sidney Sondergard is Piskor Professor Emeritus at St. Lawrence University. He is the translator of the complete English edition of Pu Songling's Strange Tales from Liaozhai (6
vols., 2008-2014). His essays have appeared in Studies in Philology, The American Journal of Semiotics, Studies in the Humanities, Theatre Survey, and Critique.
Trever McKay is Associate Professor of Chinese language and literature at Brigham Young University-Idaho, whose translations have appeared in Anthology of Tang and Song Tales: The Tang Song chuanqi ji of Lu Xun and Classic Chinese Poems of Mourning and Texts of Lament.

• Acknowledgements


• Chronology of the Song, Yuan, and Early Ming Dynasties


• Weights and Measures


• Introduction


• Section 1


• 1. The Celebration at the Underwater Palace


• 2. The Blessed Land in the Three Mountains


• 3. Meeting Old Friends in Huating


• 4. The Golden Phoenix Hairpin


• 5. The Tower of Blended Fragrance


• Section 2


• 6. Scholar Linghu's Dream of the Underworld


• 7. Visiting the Hermit at Mt. Tiantai


• 8. Teng Mu's Drunken Excursion to Jujing Park


• 9. The Peony Lantern


• 10. The Adventure at Weitang


• Section 3


• 11. The Bureau for Gaining Wealth and Honor


• 12. The Temple in the Yongzhou Countryside


• 13. Shenyang Cave


• 14. The Story of Aiqing


• 15. The Story of Cuicui


• Section 4


• 16. A Spirit Gathering at Dragon Hall


• 17. The Legal Administrator of the Grand Void


• 18. The Story of the Deceased Attendant


• 19. Boating at Night on Mirror Lake


• 20. The Girl in Green


• Appendix


• 21. Autumn Essence Pavilion


• 22. Sending Plum Blossoms


• Bibliography


• Index

New Tales Told While Trimming the Wick by the talented scholar and poet of the Ming dynasty, Qu You (1347-1433), was the first work of fiction officially banned in China, but also the first internationally acclaimed collection of Chinese short stories. These tales often seem quite modern in their character development and plot intricacies, with characters facing ethical and moral challenges that are just as difficult to navigate today as they were over six hundred years ago.