JetWit on SWET list
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Sako Eaton, the webmaster for the Society of Writers, Editors and Translators (SWET), recently invited me to post an introductory message on their website (www.swet.jp) about JetWit and the Writers Interpreters Translators (WIT) Group.
My hope is that this introduction will help foster collaboration among members of our respective communities. I encourage JetWit readers to delve into the SWET website as it offers terrific perspectives and resources.
As mentioned recently in this post on JetWit, SWET is based in Tokyo and has been in existence for 25 years. You can read their full history here.
JetWit Blog Beat: The Cheetos Makeover
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JetWit Blog Beat by Crystal Wong (Iwate-ken, 2002-04) is a recurring item featuring posts from the blogs of various JET alumni. Crystal is a former English-language writer for Kyodo News. She now works as a media planner in Chelsea and sorely misses all her favorite midtown ramen joints.
Nothing brightens a gloomy winter morning faster than a dose of that irresistible Engrish the Japanese churn out so prolifically (despite our best efforts to guide them otherwise).
Cartoonist Lars Martinson (Fukuoka, 2003-2006), author of the graphic novel Tonoharu: Part 1, shares a gem found on a bag of “Gourmet Cheetos”: http://larsmartinson.com/sophisticated-junk-food/
Traveling Tastebuds: How to Pop Every Kernel
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Devon Brown (Tokyo-to, 2002-04) is a freelance writer with a focus on food. You can read more of her writing at TravelingTastebuds.blogspot.com.
Remember about a year ago when the whole microwave popcorn = cancer thing broke out? After years of eating a snack that smelled like hot plastic and left a slight tingle on my tongue I came to the conclusion that maybe it was time to put the packets away and return to the old fashioned method. So over this past year I’ve pretty much perfected the process and a recent blog post by famed food writer Michael Rhulman inspired me to share because, while his method is good, mine is better. http://blog.ruhlman.com/ruhlmancom/2009/01/popcorn.html#comments
Click here to read the rest of the post…
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I recently learned of the existence of the Society for Writers, Editors and Translators (SWET) (www.swet.jp), a Tokyo-based group that seems to share a lot in common with JetWit and the Writers Interpreters Translators (WIT) Group–except that SWET has been in existence for 25 years! (Read the full history of the group here.)
In 1998 SWET members collaboratively published the Japan Style Sheet as a guide for professional translators
The other day I had the pleasure of meeting Ruth Stevens, one of the founders of SWET who now lives in the NY area. She introduced me (via email) to Lynne Riggs, the co-founder and current organizer of SWET, who in turn introduced me to SWET webmaster Sako Eaton.
Needless to say, we were all happy to learn of each others’ existence, and I wanted to make sure to let all the JET alumni and Friend of JET readers out there know about SWET (which, amusingly, has “SWET Shirts” for sale on their website).
In addition to a terrific website, SWET also has an e-mail list and RSS feed that are free. You can also sign up for SWET membership for 5,000 yen or $50/year which entitles you to receive their newsletter containing various info and articles that do not appear elsewhere.
I look forward to future collaboration with the SWET folks. (You’ll notice there’s already a sidebar widget for SWET with the RSS feed from their site.) And I encourage any readers to suggest and help implement additional ideas to help foster collaboration as well.
Growing Pains: A freelancer’s follow-up – by Devon Brown
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Devon Brown (Tokyo-to, 2002-04) is a freelance writer with a focus on food. You can read more of her writing at TravelingTastebuds.blogspot.com.
In a recent post titled “Growing Pains”, she sought some perspective on the business of freelance writing. In a subsequent JetWit post, we aggregated the responses of writers in the JET alum community in response to Devon’s question. Below she shares her new perspective:
Growing Pains: A follow up on an over edited piece by a newbie freelance writer
The jury is in and it seems I’ll just have to man up.
The freelance writing world can be a cold hard place and the fact that I’m getting paid and will have a byline in a national mag is going to have to be consolation for my hurt ego. The rational part of me knows that magazines have their own voice and until I’m so big and famous that they’re willing to pay me $5 for every single word I type, I’m gonna have to deal.
Thank you to everyone who offered up some insight. I heard of some horror stories that I hope to never experience myself.
On the upside, I did get a final PDF of my piece. Seeing it in print was awesome!
Roland Kelts latest column in Daily Yomiuri
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In his latest recurring column “Soft Power/Hard Truths” for the Daily Yomiuri, Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99) attempts to explain the phenomenon that is Afro-Samurai.
See his column here: http://japanamerica.blogspot.com/2009/01/afro-samurai-anime-and-game-follow-soft.html
Good Translators Website: Honyakuhome.org
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I just learned about what I think is a great resource for Japanese -> English translators and posted it on the Translation Agencies & Relevant Websites page.
Honyaku Home – Website: http://honyakuhome.org/ and Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/honyaku/
It seems to be a well-established site for Japanese translators with very good information and resources. Then again, I’m not a translator myself so hard for me to judge. Anyone else out there want to confirm my sense?
Update: There’s now a widget in the sidebar on the right with links to the latest translation job listings from HonyakuHome.org. (If you can’t see anything in the sidebar, it’s probably b/c you’re using Internet Explorer rather than Safari or Mozilla Firefox. Try clicking on the title for any post on JetWit and I think the sidebar will suddenly be visible.)
Bar Great Harry – Brooklyn Brewmaster’s Reserve Night
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Bar Great Harry is a bar on Smith St. in Brooklyn owned and run by JET alum Ben Wiley (CIR Fukui-ken, 2004-06), who shares the below info for anyone interested in joining. You can also see the Bar Great Harry blog here and a Fall 2007 JETAA NY Newsletter article about Ben and his bar here.
What: Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster’s Reserve Night
When: Tuesday, 01/27/09, 6PM-10PM
Where: Bar Great Harry, 280 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY
Beers:
- 2000 Monster Ale
- 2001 Saison
- 2006 Black Chocolate Stout
- 2006 Cuvee D’Achouffe
- 2008 Blast
- 2008 Flemish Gold
- 2008 Grand Cru
- 2008 Savoir Faire
- Cask of Blunderbuss Old Ale on Gravity!!!
This will be a seriously special night. The good folks from Brooklyn Brewery scoured the warehouse and found some really rare stuff for this event. A Monster Ale from 2000? A Saison from 2001? You will probably never get to try these again. Come.
Smithsonian lists “Odd-Fish” as one of notable children’s books for 2008
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Kathleen Burke, who compiles an annual list of notable children’s books for the Smithsonian, included The Order of Odd-Fish, by JET alum James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06) in her 2008 list in the category for older readers.
And as a bonus, the cover of Odd-Fish is one of three covers shown, along with Dr. Seuss’ Yertle the Turtle and Aaron Blabey’s Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley.
Omedetou gozaimashita, James-san!
(Click here to see other critical praise for Odd-Fish.)
James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of The Order of Odd-Fish, was asked to do a fun feature on the music blog Largehearted Boy a couple weeks ago. They have a feature called “Book Notes” in which an author is invited to compile a mixtape appropriate for their book, and explain it. So he put together a kind of movie soundtrack for “The Order of Odd-Fish.” You can listen to his “Odd-Fish” mixtape, and read the explanations for his choices, here:
http://www.largeheartedboy.com/blog/archive/2009/01/book_notes_jame_2.html
I just finished reading Zorgamazoo, the rhyming novel by Robert P. Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-04) published by Penguin Books, and want to let the JET alum community know that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters, the illustrations, the crazy fonts, the story and of course, the rhymes.
I know it’s not necessarily intended for people in my….um….age range. But that didn’t take anything away from it. It’s an extremely creative effort and I think JET alums (as well as non-JET alums) who read it will appreciate it.
(FYI, I’m not getting paid to say any of this. Honto ni, I really was just curious and found I enjoyed it a great deal.)
Roland Kelts interview on Tokyo FM (in Japanese)
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******Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica and frequent lecturer on the topic of Japanese pop culture, was interviewed recently on Tokyo FM. Below is the link to the post on his blog (japanamerica.blogspot.com) as well as links to the interview clips.Interviewed in New York, Aired in Tokyo, on Tokyo FM
The interview is in English, but the DJ translates in Japanese over Roland’s voice when he speaks and then expounds on her own at times. (I think it’s a little easier to hear the English in Part 2.)
It would be great if someone out there would post an English-version summary of the interview in the comments section below. Or perhaps one person could do a small portion and then others could add to it.
JetWit is not making this job listing up.
The Australian Ministry of Tourism is willing to pay someone $100,000 to spend 6 months relaxing and enjoying some island in the Pacific and blogging about it.
Here’s the article from the NYTimes/Associated Press: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/world/asia/15australia.html?emc=eta1
Here’s the job listing website: http://islandreefjob.com/ For those interested, deadline is Feb. 22 and requires submission of a 60-second video among other things.
It sounds too good to be true, so my guess is that the $100G pays for itself via the publicity this generates for the island as a tourist destination.
If any JET alums out there apply for it, let me know or post a comment so we can hear about the process (and perhaps eventually the job itself!)
QUESTION
In a recent post on her blog travelingtastebuds.blogspot.com (“Growing Pains“) Devon Brown (Tokyo-to, 2002-04) describes a situation where she submitted a travel writing piece to an editor (her first hit with a national publication) only to see a published version that looked rather different than what she submitted, in rhythm and voice.
She wonders: Is this normal or typical? Or is this just what she should expect?
JetWit.com put the question to JET alumni in the Writers Interpreters Translators (WIT) Group.
Click “Read More” to read their responses. Read More
Haiku Challenge #3 – Winner!
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Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, has reviewed all haiku submissions containing the designated word “pop“ for Haiku Challenge #3 and has selected a winner to receive a free copy of Japanamerica + Susan Napier’s Anime: From Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle.
Says Roland: “As a half-Japanese drummer and writer, I can’t resist finding a paradiddle and bubble-blowing carp in a haiku. Congratulations, Julie Matysik–and thanks to all for stellar contributions.”
THE WINNER
A paradiddle.
The sticks connect, pop, bounce,
like koi blowing bubbles.
—Julie Matysik (Yamanashi-ken, 2006-07)
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