Roland Kelts on Japan’s News Zero interviewed by Sho Sakurai
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Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99) was recently interviewed by Sho Sakurai on Japan’s News Zero program. Click here to watch the clip on YouTube. (Good opportunity to practice your Japanese a bit as well. :-)
Kinokuniya sets up JET Alumni Author section
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In anticipation of the upcoming JET Alumni Author Showcase (set for March 22; e-mail authors at jetaany dot org to rsvp), Kinokuniya has set up a table featuring books by JET alumni authors. The table is on the ground floor in the main aisle, right by the magazine section and features the following books:
- Japanamerica – Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99)
- The Order of Odd-Fish – James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06)
- Zorgamazoo – Robert P. Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-04)
- Learning to Bow – Bruce Feiler (Tottori-ken, 1989-90)
- Importing Diversity: Inside Japan’s JET Program – David L. McConnell
- Hitching Rides with Buddha (originally titled Hokkaido Hitchhiking Blues) – Will Ferguson (Nagasaki-ken, 1991-94)
*See a more complete list of JET alumni authors and their works at https://jetwit.com/wordpress/library/authorsbooks/
Stop by Kinokuniya and take a look!
Other Kinokuniya-related information that may be of interest to you:
- Kinokuniya now offers an Anime/Manga Membership Card – for $15 you get 10% off all of your purchases. You can find the application form at the checkout desk in their stores.
- Anime Day @ Kinokuniya – Sunday March 15 (1073 Avenue of the Americas & 40th St. in NYC) – 11am to 6pm – First 10 fans dresses as Zetsubou-Sensei will win Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei Vol. 1 from Del Rey Manga!
- Japanese Young Artists’ Book Fair_3rd – Feb 15 thru March 8 – Comics, graphic books, picture books, art books, phtoograph books, poetry books, art object books and more at 4 different locations in NY: Kinokuniya (Midtown), Printed Matter (Chelsea), St. Mark’s Bookshop (E. Village), Spoonbill & Sugartown, Booksellers (Williamsburg) and
JETAA DC Bookclub Update
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Via JETAA DC:
Hi all,
After a great first meeting in February, our book club is officially alive and kicking. The March meeting will be on Monday, March 30 at 6:30 location TBA (please let me know if you have any thoughts). We will be discussing Out by Natusuo Kirino.
Here is a brief summary courtesy of Publishers Weekly: “Four women who work the night shift in a Tokyo factory that produces boxed lunches find their lives twisted beyond repair in this grimly compelling crime novel, which won Japan’s top mystery award, the Grand Prix”
Let me know if you are interested in coming or if you have any questions. Here are some discussion
questions to consider along the way.
I hope to see you on the 30th. Happy Reading,
Jillian
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Big news to announce. This event is a direct outgrowth of the Writers Interpreters Translators (WIT) Group and JetWit.com.
Click on image to go to jetaany.org/authors to access full-size PDF of the poster.
Read on for more details about the event and the authors.
Daily Yomiuri: Roland Kelts comments on Haruki Murakami’s Israel speech
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In a special column in today’s Daily Yomiuri (“Haruki Murakami: Japan’s 21st-Century Cultural Ambassador“), Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, comments on Haruki Murakami’s speech regarding his recent acceptance of a literary award in Israel.
Roland also has a new “Soft Power/Hard Truths” column out today, this one titled “Cosplayers a breath of fresh air for D.C.“
Also, here are upcoming speaking dates in NY for Roland:
- Mar 10th, New York, NY, The Consulate General of Japan in New York
- Mar 12th, New York, NY, The Japan Society
- Mar 22nd, New York, NY, JETaaNY Author Showcase (*RSVP required)
Via JETAA Chicago:
STAR IN THE EYE- POETRY BOOK RELEASE
James Shea, a former ALT and Monbukagakusho research student, published his first book of poetry in November of last year. The book is entitled Star in the Eye and is available on amazon.com. It has won the 2008 Fence Modern Poets Series Prize and was also named as one of the “Favorite Books of 2008” by the Chicago Sun Times. For more information, please visit the following link: http://www.amazon. com/Star- Eye-James- Shea/dp/19342001 4X
To see a list of all JET alumni authors that of whom JetWit is aware, go to the “Authors” section in the JetWit “Library.” https://jetwit.com/wordpress/library/authorsbooks/
Roland Kelts upcoming appearances: Pasadena, CA, Hobart College and NYC
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For the West Coast JET set out there, Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, will be speaking this Sunday, March 1, at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena. Full details here: http://www.pacificasiamuseum.org/calendar/calendar-next.htm
And for the Upstate NYers, on March 4 Roland will be at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Full details here: http://www.hws.edu/academics/fisher_center/fc_events.aspx#09s_kelts
And a reminder for the East Coast Elitist JET Alumni community that on Sunday, March 22 Roland will take part in the first ever JET Alumni Author Showcase, along with James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), Robert Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-04) and Randall David Cook (Fukui-ken, 1991-93). (Space is limited. RSVP to authors at jetaany dot org.)
*To rsvp via the event listing on Facebook, just click: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=56484206967&ref=nf
Soft Power, Hard Truths: From Akihabara to Katsucon
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The latest Soft Power, Hard Truths Daily Yomiuri column from Roland Kelts (author of Japanamerica) in which he describes taking his Tokyo U. students on a field trip to Akihabara (i.e., the heart of otaku culture) reflecting on their reactions.
http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/indexohb.cgi?AREA=03
Kinokuniya BookWeb USA Announces New Upgraded Service
Book Web USA has been upgraded and combined into one to serve both West and East Coasts.
*You can now search for a title in all eight US Kinokuniya locations at one time.
*Items which are not currently available through our Web service will receive faster back order delivery response.
*Orders totaling $100 or more will receive free shipping.
For more details please refer to the help function in the Bookweb information section.
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BookWeb U.S.A.リニューアル・オープン
米国紀伊國屋書店BookWebがひとつになってリニューアルしました。
*お探しの本を北米紀伊國屋8店舗の在庫から一発検索
*ＷＥＢ取り寄せサービスにて在庫の無い商品も素早く入手
*$100以上まとめてご注文いただくと送料無料に
詳しくはヘルプ機能のBookwebご利用案内をご覧ください。
JETAA Book Clubs: D.C. Re-born
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The JETAA book clubs continue to make a comeback. JETAA DC is the most recent chapter to revive its book club, following in the footsteps of New York, Northern California and Portland.
What is your chapter’s book club reading? And did I leave any chapters out? Let us know in the comments section of this post.
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First Meeting of the Reincarnated Book Club
Hi All,
I know it is rather short notice, but I finally ironed out the details for the first meeting of the Japan themed book club.
Book: Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami– This is a collection of 24 short stories. Even if you only get chance to read a few of the stories, please join us. Read More
Rose Symotiuk was a JET in Akan, Hokkaido from 2003-2005. She works in publishing in New York City. You can follow her blog at http://roseinnewyork.wordpress.com/.
Repeat After Me is the first fiction book by Rachel DeWoskin. DeWoskin went to Beijing in 1994 to work as a public-relations consultant and was quickly recruited to star in a Chinese nighttime soap opera, titled Foreign Babes in Beijing, which was watched by approximately 600 million viewers. At the time, she was one of the few foreign actresses working in mainland China and was considered a sex symbol. You can pick up her popular book about her experiences, titled Foreign Babes in Beijing: Behind the Scenes of a New China, here.
Repeat After Me follows the lead character, Aysha, a young New Yorker, after a mental breakdown causes her to drop out of Columbia and start teaching at an English school. There she meets Da Ge, a young Chinese man with his own problems. The story starts somewhere in the middle and unfolds in wonderous ways: from Aysha’s parents’ divorce, to her life in Beijing years later with a stunning surprise, always returning to her tragic, vivid romance with Da Ge.
Splashed across this story in bright color is China, in mouth watering Read More
JetWit BlogBeat: Winter Tomatoes and Blasts from the Past
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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.
Devon Brown (Tokyo-to, 2002-04) shares her thoughts on making do without quality tomatoes during the winter season (although the jarringly springlike weather this past week would seem to indicate that summer might not be as far off as we think).
James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of The Order of Odd-Fish, shares his charmingly illustrated experience of visiting an old friend while meeting some new fans.
JetWit Blog Beat: Crazy cats, spectral sounds, and Belgian conceptual art
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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.
JET alum Lars Martinson ,author of the graphic novel Tonoharu, shares his latest conbini discoveries:
Meanwhile, NY webmaster and NYU ITP grad student Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2003-06) shares his spectral music piece from his visual music class.
And if you find yourself in Montreal between now and Valentine’s Day, check out the tongue-in-cheek art from Belgian artist Wim Delvoye that Rob P. Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-04), author of the rhyming novel Zorgamazoo, shares on his blog.
Audio: Robert P. Weston Reads from Zorgamazoo
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Robert P. Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-04) has just posted an audio file of his reading from Chapter 1 of his rhyming novel Zorgamazoo on his blog wayofthewest.wordpress.com.
Have a listen! It’s fun, and you’ll feel younger too.
When you’ve finished hearing ’bout Zorgamazoo!
(Sorry, Rob. I couldn’t resist. :-)
Video: Roland Kelts on Studio360 with Kurt Anderson
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A sampling of what’s to air on NPR’s Studio 360 Goes to Japan on Saturday at 10 am, featuring Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99):
