Roland Kelts Update: Studio360 in Japan and Interview in Brooklyn Rail
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Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, has a few new things going on since we last checked in with him.
Studio360 – See some photos and read about Roland working with the Studio360 folks in Japan on an upcoming radio program. (Studio360 is a great show that runs on NPR and explores cultures via their artists.)
Brooklyn Rail — Roland has an interview in Brooklyn Rail with David Hadju, A Columbia Journalism School professor and author of Lush Life, Positively 4th Street, and now Ten Cent Plague, a record of America’s pre-code comic book auteurs.
Julie Matysik (Yamanashi-ken, 2006-07) is a freelance copy editor and aspiring in-house editor who recently moved to NYC with her husband (also a JET alum). She has just started an internship in editing/publishing/writing. Editorial Pursuits chronicles her job hunting efforts, experiences and lessons learned.
As part of my internship, I’ve been entrusted with reading what we like to call “slush”-unsolicited manuscripts that, almost 99% of the time, come to find an impersonal rejection letter folder in a neat and hopeful self-addressed stamped envelope. Now, normally I like to consider myself a very fair, open-minded, and kind individual; I especially love being introduced to new books, authors, genres, etc. However, when it comes to reading “slush,” I feel a demonic, elitist monster overtaking my body.
That said, this is not the first time I’ve been asked to read through various query letters, synopses, and sample chapters. At an internship I held at Cream City Review literary magazine in Milwaukee, WI I also read short story manuscripts and about half of the time, I passed the manuscript on to a fiction editor for their feedback. So I don’t know if the frustrations with not being able to find a permanent publishing job in the so-called “Mecca” of publishing (a.k.a. NYC) or my need to assert some pent-up dominance over Read More
Welcome to the first JetWit Haiku Challenge! The challenge is to submit one or more haiku using the designated word. The best haiku submitted wins the prize.
This week’s challenge will be judged by James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of The Order of Odd-Fish.
- Designated word (chosen by James): “Fewmets“ (a Medieval English word that means the droppings of an animal, by which the hunter identifies the prey. Mentioned in Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wind In The Door, specifically as dragon droppings.)
- Deadline: Thursday, December 11, before 5:00p.m. EST
- Prize: Free copy of The Order of Odd-Fish mailed to you.
- Form: Haiku are typically 5-7-5 and have a seasonal reference. Though the form actually has a fair amount of flexibility. Ultimately, James is the judge. If you look at his website or read a page from his book, you’ll get a pretty quick read on his sensibilities.
- E-mail responses to: jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com
Haiku Challenge! #1 – “Fewmets”
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Welcome to the first JetWit Haiku Challenge! The challenge is to submit one or more haiku using the designated word. The best haiku submitted wins the prize.
This week’s challenge will be judged by James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of The Order of Odd-Fish.
- Designated word (chosen by James): “Fewmets“ (a Medieval English word that means the droppings of an animal, by which the hunter identifies the prey. Mentioned in Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wind In The Door, specifically as dragon droppings.)
- Deadline: Thursday, December 11, before 5:00p.m. EST
- Prize: Free copy of The Order of Odd-Fish mailed to you.
- Form: Haiku are typically 5-7-5 and have a seasonal reference. Though the form actually has a fair amount of flexibility. Ultimately, James is the judge. If you look at his website or read a page from his book, you’ll get a pretty quick read on his sensibilities.
- E-mail responses to: jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com
Update: Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99)
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After chaperoning Pete Townsend and The Who around Japan for a couple weeks, having a press conference with Hayao Miyazaki and interviewing both Murakamis (Haruki and Ryu), Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99) pauses to reflect on the interactions as well as some new perspectives on “pop culture” in his latest SOFT POWER, HARD TRUTHS column in the Daily Yomiuri.
Update: I just learned from Roland that the radio discussion listed below will actually not air this week.
You can also hear Roland on NPR’s “The World” this Thursday (i.e., tomorrow) for a program about the Japanese Language Proficiency Test in the US.
Is author David Mitchell a JET alum?
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Can anyone confirm whether award-winning author David Mitchell is an alumni of the JET Program? His Wikipedia entry and other info on the web make clear that he lived in Hiroshima for 8 years and taught English at a technical school. Just trying to confirm whether he’s a JET alum.
E-mail any info to jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com.
FYI, he is the author of (among other things) Ghostwritten (1999), number9dream (2001), and CloudAtlas (2004).
I just learned about another JET alum author named Rob Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-04), currently a resident of Toronto, thanks to JETAA DC newsletter chair Gina Anderson (Nara-ken, 2003-05).
Rob is the author of Zorgamazoo, a “rhyming, rhythmical tale of Katrina, a girl with a big heart and an even bigger imagination” published this year by Penguin Books and available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Powells.
If the website for the book (www.zorgamazoo.com) is any indication, then the book seems like an exceedingly fun read for adults as well as children. (Plus, I read the free excerpt and it turns out it is as fun as the website.)
You can also follow Rob’s blog at wayofthewest.wordpress.com
FYI, to see a list of all JET alum authors (of which JetWit is aware), go to jetwit.com/wordpress/library/authorsbooks. And if you know of any others, be a good JET alum and send an e-mail to jetwit /att/ jetwit /dotto/ com.
It turns out JET alum Lars Martinson, author of the graphic novel Tonoharu: Part 1, has a four-part series on his experience applying for a Monbusho Scholarship that’s worth reading.
JetWit also recently had a post about Lars completing a 10-part series on his site (larsmartinson.com) all about self-publishing. And I just realized he has a unique section on his site devoted to reflections from his time on JET.
It’s also worth noting that, while he had been living in Minneapolis, MN, more recently he’s relocated to Tokushima-ken in Shikoku for graduate school.
JET alum Lars Martinson, author of the graphic novel Tonoharu: Part 1, just completed a 10-part series on his site (larsmartinson.com) all about self-publishing. While he writes from an “alternative cartoonist” perspective, he offers valuable insight and experience for any JET alums in the writing or publishing business.
Perspectives include:
- Cartooning is a poor career choice, so make sure you have alternative revenue streams
- Seek funding such as the Xeric Grant, Monbusho scholarships and other sources of funding
Taking advantage of Amazon Associates, and selling related merchandise- Suggestions on how to create an effective online presence
- How to find established distributors in your field
- How to manage sales and money
- Plus plenty of other helpful concrete suggestions gleaned from personal experience and struggle
You can also read a nice article about Lars from the Winter 2008 “Digital Media” Issue of the JETAA NY Newsletter, written by Alexei Esikoff (Fukushima-ken, 2001-02).
Book Review: Japan Rising by Kenneth Pyle
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Reviewed by Lyle Sylvander (Yokohama-shi, 2001-02) (Originally published in the JETAA NY Fall 2008 Quarterly Newsletter)
Bookstores are stocked full of tomes charting the recent rise of India and China. The IT and computer programming revolution in the former and the manufacturing explosion in the latter have accompanied such massive population growth in both countries that the world’s attention has naturally shifted to that region of Asia.
In this context, Kenneth Pyle’s new book Japan Rising: The Resurgence of Japanese Power and Purpose may seem anachronistic, as a holdover from the 1980s, the decade when, to quote a book from the era, Japan would be “first among equals.” But Pyle, a Professor of Asian history at the University of Washington, makes a strong case for Japan’s continuing relevance in the international global community, both politically and economically. His book is a fascinating account of Japanese foreign policy history, from its origins in the Meiji era to its current strategic calculations.
Much commentary has been made about Japan’s ability to preserve tradition while adapting to foreign Read More
Seeking JET alumni authors
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Are you a JET alum? Have you ever written a book? Do you know of any JET alumni who have authored a book?
JetWit is trying to track down any and all JET alumni authors, well-known and obscure. If you’ve ever written a book or know of another JET alum who has, please e-mail any info to stevenwaseda /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com.
Below is a list of JET alumni authors JetWit knows about. (To see the books they’ve written, go to jetwit.com/wordpress/library/authorsbooks/.)
- Auslin, Michael
- Beaton, Hamish (Osaka, 1996-99)
- Feiler, Bruce (Tottori-ken, 1989-90)
- Ferguson, Will (Nagasaki-ken, 1991-94)
- Kelts, Roland (Osaka, 1998-99)
- Kennedy, James (Nara-ken, 2004-06)
- Klar, Nicholas (Prefecture, Years)
- Kootnikoff, David (Prefecture, Years)
- Levitas, Ethan (Prefecture, Years)
- McConnell, David L. (Prefecture, Years)
- Tessler, Manya (Prefecture, Years)
Roland Kelts Update – 11/17/08
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Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), the author of Japanamerica and a professor at Todai, is back in Japan and up to some interesting things.
NPR: He’s putting together a program about Japan’s generation gap and disaffected youth culture for WNYC’s Studio 360. It will likely air in January.
Anime Masterpieces: Creating and editing a Study Guide for the next film in the 
series, Tekkonkinkreet. Go to animemasterpieces.com for more info on the panel. The most recent event was on the 14th at the Waterloo Festival of Animated Cinema in Canada. The next event will be Dec. 6th at the Smithsonian featuring John Dower, Susan Napier and Fred Schodt. The next event in which Roland will appear will be Feb. 11 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
The Who: Attending all four of their Kanto area shows and spending time with Pete Townsend and his assistant and crew (with whom he’s become friends!) According to Roland, the shows have been spectacular, with rabidly enthusiastic responses from Japanese fans–who stand and cheer through the entire concert (which he observes is fairly unusual for usually reserved Japanese concert-goers). The final two shows will be at Budokan.
He even received a compliment from Pete Townsend on his latest Daily Yomiuri column, which Pete read one morning when the paper was delivered to his hotel room.
Adbusters Magazine: Has become a contributing writer/editor at Adbusters magazine (http://www.adbusters.org/magazine/79/too_comfortable_to_take_risks.html), which means he provides a story from Japan for every issue, starting this past September. A scan of his story from the lates issue 
is, The MANGA MAN, is available on Roland’s blog. Meanwhile, the current issue of Adbusters has a lengthy feature by Roland on the recent success of Kanikosen (The Crab Ship), a socialist novel written by Takiji Kobayashi in 1929, among young Japanese, and the spike in enrollment in Japan’s Communist Party since the start of this year.
ODD-FISH ALUM: A talk with James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of the fantasy novel The Order of Odd-Fish
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Interview by Gina Anderson (Nara-ken, 2003-05) JETAA DC Newsletter Editor
In August 2008, James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06) published his first novel, The Order of Odd-Fish, a fantasy novel inspired partially by his experience in Japan. Book sales have been going well and JETAA DC Newsletter Editor Gina Anderson (Nara-ken, 2003-05) recently talked with James about the book and, well, some other things.
Let’s start with your hair. Do you razor it or clippers? Neither?
Usually my wife Heather cuts my hair. Scissors all the way. Recently I’ve been getting my hair cut by a friend instead. At first it felt like a kind of betrayal, but actually Heather is relieved.
Paper or plastic?
I generally write on paper.
Are you an extrovert or an introvert?
Like many introverts, I enjoy playing the extrovert.
Who’s your favorite author?
A Book About JETs in Japanese?
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Thanks to Ken Haraguchi, a NY-based reporter for Japanese weekly newspaper Frontline, I recently learned that there’s actually a book called どうしてYesも言えないの-アメリカ人が見た日本の学校現場 (Why Can’t You Say “Yes”?) in Japanese written by Yoshio Hotta, a Japanese journalist who interviewed a number of JET alumni in the Washington, DC area. The title dervies from one of the stories in the book about a JET’s frustration with Japanese people’s tendency to keep things vague, resulting in awkwardness for the gaijin.
JETAA NY Book Club Reborn!
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Note: While the JETAA NY Book Club is aimed at NYers, non-NYers are encouraged to read and get in touch as well, as there’s potential for virtual participation.
Dear JETAA Book Clubbers,
Hajimemashite! This is Jessica Langbein, co-organizer of JETAANY’s new book club, along with Michael Glazer. Apologies for being out of touch for so long. It’s been a busy fall so far.
I’m very excited to announce the first meeting of our book club. To kick off the fun, we will be reading Ryu Murakami’s Almost Transparent Blue.
Here’s a blurb:
“Almost Transparent Blue is a brutal tale of lost youth in a Japanese port town close to an American military base. Murakami’s image-intensive narrative paints a portrait of a group of friends locked in a destructive cycle of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll. The novel is all but plotless, but the raw and often violent prose takes us on a rollercoaster ride through reality and hallucination, highs and lows, in which the characters and their experiences come vividly to life. Trapped in passivity, they gain neither passion nor pleasure from their adventures. Yet out of the alienation, boredom and underlying rage and grief emerges a strangely quiet and almost equally shocking beauty. Ryu Murakami’s first novel, Almost Transparent Blue won the coveted Akutagawa literary prize and became an instant bestseller. Representing a sharp and conscious turning away from the introspective trend of postwar Japanese literature, it polarized critics and public alike
and soon attracted international attention as an alternative view of modern Japan.”
The book can of course be ordered off of Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Almost-Transparent-Japans-Modern-Writers/dp/0870114697
We will be meeting on December 10, at 7:00 p.m. Katrina Barnas has very generously offered the use of the lounge in her apartment building in downtown Manhattan. Light refreshments will be served.
For those who can make it, please RSVP and I will provide you with the address of Katrina’s building and her phone number. Then, please buy or borrow the book and get reading! Michael Glazer will be in contact with the group in the near future, to get us started with a few discussion questions. If you have any questions or comments in the meantime, please feel free to e-mail me or share them with the group.
I look forward to hearing from you all!
Jessica
