Editor-in-Chief / Wang Huan
Design / Zang Liping & Ma Shirui @typo_d
Published by / Universal Manual & KCL Publishing House Ltd
Book Specifications:
Format: 120 × 168 mm, 32k, random colored offset paper, single-color black printing, drilled and thread-bound.
Random colors: Kishu Colored Offset BEIGE (23) / BUFF (17) / COSMOS PINK (37) / AQUA BLUE (34)
Booklet Specifications:
Format: 100 × 150 mm, four-color printing, stitched binding.
At its inception, General Manual was born, in part, from a lingering dissatisfaction with the existing state of academic writing. Back then, we hoped to publish speculative writings distinct from traditional academic papers, and "questioning" almost served as the starting point of such speculation. General Manual seeks to preserve the courage to question everything. The term "general" here is not about identifying some generally applicable meaning but is rooted in a "general consciousness"—a way to produce uniqueness within conventional knowledge. At the same time, we also encourage writers to maintain an awareness of public writing. Most of the articles published in this journal intersect across disciplines. In fact, the act of writing is inherently interdisciplinary—it does not belong solely to literature, nor of course to art. No single discipline or body of knowledge "owns" writing. Without a doubt, writing is a companion that parasitizes the long span of human life.
The eponymous publication focuses on the various problems and dilemmas faced by contemporary people, regularly featuring writings from scholars, artists, and activists in the fields of art, philosophy, and culture. These include essays, prose, fiction, and other forms of writing. We encourage cross-cultural and interdisciplinary writing that maintains a public consciousness, integrating fragmented knowledge into coherent domains and making academic writing a little more "lovable" in the face of interconnected realities and theories. The inaugural issue has no fixed theme but is titled “Contemporary Punctum”, retracing through the footsteps of multiple researchers those "general questions" deeply relevant to contemporary life. Designed by Ma Shirui & Zang Liping (typo_d), this journal adopts a compact format, stitched with a single thread to transform "paper" into a "book"—a manual for academic writing that is anything but dull.
The volume includes 23 articles, comprising both previously published online pieces and original contributions. We extend our gratitude to every author who contributed to this issue: Brion Gysin, Chen Jiaying, Chen Xiaoyi, Chen Min, Dong Yuxiang, Gao Yijie, Hu Hao, He Zike, Lin Weipin, Long Xingru, Liu Zhangbolong, Li Suchao, Wang Kaimei, Wang Min'an, Wang Honghe, Wang Juyan, Wang Huan, William S. Burroughs, Xu Zheyu, Xin Wei, Xi Lei, Yang Beichen, Yang Yunchang, and Ye Funa.
As someone living in the same era, what general questions will prick you?
