Event: Suzanne Kamata to present Educational Workshop for Families of Children with Learning Differences (Tokyo)
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Author Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90) who also serves as the Publicity Assistant for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, shared the following:
TELL Exceptional Parenting Program: Educational Workshop for Families of Children with Learning Differences/Diverse Needs by Tokyo English Life Child and Family Services
We welcome you to our Writing workshop: Parenting kids with special needs presented by Suzanne Kamata, writer, poet, and mother.
Suzanne will give a presentation on Reading and Writing Our Special Children. She will discuss the importance of writing about children with special needs and share examples of literature current and past about parenting children with special needs. She will also conduct brief writing exercises, which may be used in journaling, or creative writing for pleasure or publication.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Registration: 2:30pm to 2:45pm; Workshop: 2:45pm to 4:15pm; Information sharing: 4:15pm to 5:00pm
Admission: Donations accepted
RSVP to tellparentgroup@hotmail.com
Location: Minami Aoyama Conference Room next to TELL office
Address: 5-4-22 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062 Phone: 03-3498-0231
Suzanne Kamata was born and raised in Grand Haven, Michigan. After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in English, she came to Japan in 1988 on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. During her second year in Japan, she met the man who would become her husband and has lived in Tokushima Prefecture ever since. She now lives with her husband and ten-year old twins in Aizumi and teaches part-time at Naruto Educational University.
Suzanne is also the author of a novel, Losing Kei (Leapfrog Press, 2008), editor of several anthologies, among them Love You to Pieces: Creative Writers on Raising a Child with Special Needs (Beacon Press, 2008) and Call Me Okaasan: Adventures in Multicultural Mothering (Wyatt-Mackenzie Publishing, 2009), and fiction editor of literarymama.com.
If you would like to have more information on the Exceptional Parenting Program or would like to attend the workshops, please contact Birgit Zorb-Serizawa at tellparentgroup@hotmail.com.
Roland Kelts article in Adbusters: Private Worlds
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Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, has a good article out in Adbusters magazine.
Private Worlds: Lives spent lurking too long in the shadows of the virtual
Also, Roland is traveling to Korea soon to do give some talks there. If you’re a JET alum living in Korea and you go, make sure to go up and introduce yourself and invite him out for some sho-chu.
“Two Authors Send Readers on Mysterious Journeys Through Japan:”Chin Music Press Book Reading at Capitola Book Café- Oct 20 (Santa Cruz, CA)
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Chin Music Press, the Seattle-based publisher owned and run by Bruce Rutledge (MEF Program Chiba-ken, 1985-87) is headed to Northern California as author Todd Shimoda reads from his latest novel, Oh! A mystery of mono no aware, at the Capitola Book Café (1475 41st Avenue in Capitola) on Tuesday, October 20th at 7:30pm. Shimoda joins anthropologist and writer Liza Dalby, who will be reading from Hidden Buddhas: A Novel of Karma and Chaos. This event is free to the public.
The Capitola Book Café hosts Shimoda and Dalby under the title of “Mysterious Journeys Through Japan” with discussion of their usage of Japan as a setting for emotional paths towards moments of enlightenment. Here’s a blurb about both books from the event webpage:
Oh! by Todd Shimoda was selected as an NPR Summer Reading pick and combines visual artistry with patient and brilliant storytelling. Zack Hara is a technical writer trudging through life in LA until he leaves everything to travel to Japan. There, searching for an emotional life, Zack becomes entwined with a tragic poet, a sensual but disillusioned woman, and young people form suicide clubs— all propelling him down a dangerous path. “A triumphant kick in the pants for anyone who doubts the future of paper-and-ink books.” — Lucia Silva
Liza Dalby returns to Book Café with a novel that Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of A Geisha, describes as “…(her) best work yet; with its fascinating story of characters caught up in a world they themselves don’t understand.” Hidden Buddhas explores the karmic connections between Japanese fashion, pilgrimage, dying honeybees, murder by blowfish, and the Buddhist apocalypse. Something of a Buddhist Da Vinci Code, Dalby’s stunning new novel travels to the unknown corners of Japan and through time to expose a mystery you will never forget!
Check out previous JetWit posts about Bruce Rutledge here and a Japan Times review of Oh! here.
On a related note, Bruce is joined at Chin Music Press by two other JET alums: designer Joshua Powell (Saitama-ken, 2005-07) and PR intern Jessica Sattell (Fukuoka-ken, 2007-08).
JQ seeks writers for Winter issue – Story ideas below
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Special message from JQ Editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02):
Hope everyone’s enjoying the start of fall (a link to JQ’s current issue is below in case you haven’t seen it yet, thanks always for your contributions and ideas). I’ve added some new story ideas since our quarterly meeting in September, so in case you haven’t signed up or would like to see what else is out there, below are the story ideas I’ve rounded up from other JETs and contributors along with my own ideas that you can pick for the winter issue to be published in January. De wa…
Deadlines are as follows:
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5: Registering a story assignment with me at magazine@jetaany.org, or pitching an idea of your own for approval. All suggestions are welcome. We’ve been picking up more new writers with each issue, and I encourage all first-timers whether you consider yourself a seasoned writer or not.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3: Deadline for submitting a final draft of your story. It’s earlier than usual because I’m planning on doing some traveling and want to have a lot to work with before the holidays. Extensions will be granted on a case-by-case basis, less so for new writers.
I would also greatly appreciate added assistance for the following:
AD SALES CALLS: Although JQ has now switched to paid annual subscriptions for our hard copy mailing list, we’re still continuing to sell ad space. I’ve already blasted out our new issue and rates to everyone on my list, but I’ve since learned the hard way that they never get back to me this way, since it’s easier to delete an e-mail than to dodge a phone call. So, I’m asking for volunteers to help me make calls to those who have previously advertised with us in the past two years (about 30 names). If you’re really confident, I’ll give you some other accounts that I’m trying to hook. Know any businesses that you’d like to see in our pages or on the site? That works, too.
COPY EDITING/PROOFREADING: The trial run for this with our new issue was a huge success, so I’m bringing it back. This is for serious bookworms only! If you’re capable of spotting the teensiest, tiniest, itty-bittiest flubs in grammar, spelling, punctuation and design inconsistencies in print, you would be INVALUABLE to me in the layout process. Applicants will be provided with a test–I’m not kidding!
Below are the story ideas.
Thanks for reading and providing your support, and e-mail me with any other questions/comments. Read More
JQ Magazine’s “Fall Classic Rock” Issue Now Available Online!
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JQ Editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) has done it again. Another great issue of JQ:
Some Dreams Do Come True! JQ’s Fall 2009 Issue is Here!!
FALL 2009 ISSUE: click image below for our homepage
In our final issue of the year, we chat with the men of Anvil! The Story of Anvil, a film that may be on the road to the Oscars next year, and original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley about his memories of touring Nippon in three different decades. On the JETAANY front, read all about our end-of-summer softball tournament and the annual National Conference in Chicago, as well as a wedding announcement. Plus: the New York Anime Festival, Film reviews of Ponyo and The Cove, author interviews, theater, fab “translation tours”…all this and MORE in the new “Fall Classic Rock” issue of JQ!!
Page 3……..Letter From the Editor / Letter From the Treasurer
Page 4……..Nippon News Blotter / CJ’s Wedding
Page 5……..Comings & Goings / JETAA National Conference in Chicago
Page 6……..JETAANY Annual Softball Tournament
Page 7……..Working the Written Word by Alexei Esikoff
Page 8……..Nihonjin in New York – Featuring JETRO’s Maya Eiki-Law by Joe Marucheck
Page 8……..Actor Jun Kim Talks heavenly BENTO by Adren Hart
Page 9……..Americans on Fuji: Talking with Author Sara Backer by Veronika Ruff
Page 10……International Visitor Leadership Program Interpreting by Stacy Smith
Page 11……JQ&A with New York Anime Festival’s Peter Tatara by Justin Tedaldi
Page 13……Anvil with Sacha Gervasi: The JQ Interview: by Justin Tedaldi
Page 14……What We Did This Summer – Photos
Page 15……Theatre Review: A Recipe for heavenly BENTO by Adren Hart
Page 16……Film Review: Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo by Lyle Sylvander
Page 17……Book Corner: The China Lover by David Kowalsky
Page 18……Ace Frehley: Back in the New York Groove by Justin Tedaldi
Page 20……New York Anime Festival Photos
Page 21……Film Review: The Cove by Elizabeth Wanic
Page 21……Book Corner: Japanese Kitchen Knives / Food Carving by Yukari Sakamoto
Page 23……Top 12 List / Life After the B.O.E. / Sponsors Index
BAPCPA Man #11: Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13
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BAPCPA Man and Bankruptcy Bill are cartoons created by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) and Gideon Kendall. For more cartoons, original bankruptcy haiku and even a bankruptcy country song, go to bankruptcybill.us.
Do you work in bankruptcy or restructuring? Now you can join the JET Alumni Restructuring & Bankruptcy Group on LinkedIn.
(Click here to see larger version of the cartoon.)
Additionally, if anyone would like to take a stab at translating the cartoon into Japanese for JetWit’s Japanese fans out there, feel free to post in the comments section of this post. Some cultural explanation might be helpful as well, given that Japanese bankruptcy laws are very different than the U.S.
JETAA UK: Sake tasting at Tsuru (Oct 20)
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Via JET alum Vanessa Villalobos, the Communications Officer for JETAA UK as well as the publisher of the Isshoni London website.
In case you didn’t know, sake tastings are all the rage in London. Do you really know your Nihonshu? Following the great success of our last chilled sake tasting in June, we’ll be holding a cosy autumn tasting with delicious, warming sakes. Join us for an educational night, with sake and accompanying nibbles.
WHEN: Tuesday, October 20, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Tsuru Restaurant tasting includes 4 different types of sake, served with sushi and a selection from Tsuru’s Japanese Tapas menu. At only £18 per person this is truly great value! First come, first served… reserve your place quickly to avoid disappointment.
If you’d like to attend, please register by sending an email to Vanessa at londoncomms [at] jetaa.org.uk
Details of how to secure your place by sending £18 will then follow.
JETAA Chicago Fall 2009 Newsletter
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JETAA Chicago Newsletter Editor Elizabeth Friedman (Shimane-ken, 2003-04) has put out the the JETAA Chicago Fall 2009 Newsletter (PDF). Have a look-and-see at what’s going on in Chicago’s JET-world:
http://www.chicago.jetalumni.net/newsletter/2009_Fall_Newsletter.pdf
- Letter from the President
- JETAA National Conference (hosted by Chicago)
- Photos from the JETAA National Conference
- Green Teaist Tea Tasting
- Japan America Society of Chicago Events
- Volunteer Opportunity
Two “translating” events at the Donald Keene Center at Columbia University
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Via Kia Cheleen (CIR, Aichi-ken 1996-98, ALT 1998-1999), Assistant Director at the Donald Keene Center on Japanese Culture at Columbia University. To get on their e-mail list for future events, send an e-mail to donald-keene-center at columbia dot edu.
1. “Translation and its Postcolonial Discontents: Controversy over Toma Seita’s Reading of Kim Soun’s Japanese Translation of Korean Poetry in Postwar Japan”
October 14th, 2009 (Wednesday) 5:30-7:00 PM; Serk-bae Suh (University of California-Irvine); Location: 403 Kent Hall, Columbia University (116th St. and Amsterdam Avenue) http://www.keenecenter.org/content/view/100/126/#oct14
2. “What Will Be Almost Permanently Lost in Translation? A Cognitive Linguistic View”
November 5th, 2009 (Thursday) 4:00-5:30 PM; Seiichi Makino (Princeton University); Location: 569 Lerner Hall, Columbia University (114th St. and Broadway) http://www.keenecenter.org/content/view/100/126/#nov
Just found out about another JET alum writer:
Popp, Laura (Mie-ken, 2008-Present)
- Laura is a current JET who writes fantasy and science fiction for children and young adults, and is an occasional playwright/film maker.
- Here’s one of her short stories titled “In theShadow Realm” – http://www.viatouch.com/learn/Storystation/Stories/in_shadow_realm.jsp
- Here’s a documentary she made in Malawi (on YouTube): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApdQpfi4i7E
- To read about her amazing adventures all over Japan, check out her her blog: laurajanepopp.livejournal.com
For info on all the known writers in the JET-o-sphere (known to JetWit), check out the Authors/Books section of the JetWit Library.
JetWit BlogBeat 10.11.09 by Crystal Wong
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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 is now working as a freelance strategist and writer in New York and relishes her constant hunt for the best cheap(ish) eats in the city.
Happy October, everyone. It’s been awhile, so let’s take a look and make sure you have a chance to catch up on some posts you might’ve missed in September:
Interesting post from Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90) over at Gaijin Mama about her son’s Japanese education – this should be enlightening for former JETs since we’ve had a chance to work on the other side of the teaching equation, but likely never had a chance to interact with parents.
Over at Chin Music Press, exciting things are happening as they get set to ship their latest publication. The book will literally be hot off the presses shortly, so be sure to check back for updates!
James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06) visits his teen fans at the Schaumburg Library, and it looks like some funny stuff went down.
We also covered JET alum Janice Momoko Chow (Saitama, 2005-2006) here a few posts back, and wanted to make sure that you all knew about her recent blog move to this site.
Finally, if you’re looking for a culinary reason to celebrate autumn while conveniently warding off any pesky autumn germs all at the same time, Elizabeth White (Toyama-ken, 1995-98) has the recipe for you. Looks delicious! 
Bankruptcy Bill #20 – Fantasy Bankruptcy
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BAPCPA Man and Bankruptcy Bill are cartoons created by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) and Gideon Kendall. For more cartoons, original bankruptcy haiku and even a bankruptcy country song, go to bankruptcybill.us.
(Click here to see larger version of the cartoon.)
Additionally, if anyone would like to take a stab at translating the cartoon into Japanese for JetWit’s Japanese fans out there, feel free to post in the comments section of this post. Some cultural explanation might be helpful as well, given that Japanese bankruptcy laws are very different than the U.S.
Event: The World of Children’s Book Publishing with Alvina Ling (Yokohama)
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Author Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90) who also serves as the Publicity Assistant for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, shared the following, which she mentioned is, “a great opportunity for writers in Japan to meet one of the top editors in the world of children’s books.”
The World of Children’s Book Publishing
with
Alvina Ling, Senior Editor
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Saturday, November 14, 2009, 10:30 am – 5:00 pm
Manuscript critiques 8:30-10:00 a.m.
Place: Yokohama International School, Middle Building Cafeteria, Yokohama
For access information and maps, visit www.yis.ac.jp
Fee: Advance Registration 4,000 yen SCBWI members; 7,000 yen nonmembers (contact info@scbwi.jp by November 5)
At the Door 5,000 yen SCBWI members; 8,000 yen nonmembers
Reservations: Required! Contact info@scbwi.jp to reserve your place.
This event will be in English.
SCHEDULE
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Sake World e-Newsletter by John Gauntner (October 2009)
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The October 2009 issue of the Sake World E-mail Newsletter by JET alum and leading sake expert John Gauntner (aka “The Sake Guy”) is now available online. In this issue:
The Boyz of Nada
Did You Know? Sake Day
SCHEDULED AND CONFIRMED: Guided Sakagura Tours
NEW! Sake Professional Courses in Las Vegas and Japan
Learn More About Sake eBooks
Odds-n-Ends
Additional links:
Sake World Website
More About Us
Archive
Subscribe
JETAA International Conference in Jamaica – Twitter Update 10.3.09
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Here’s another update from the JETAA International Conference in Jamaica this weekend. Thanks to one Ryan Hart, one of JETAA USA’s three country reps, for continuing to Twitter live from the conference.
Here’s the link to the feed if you want it: http://twitter.com/jetaausa
And here’s a sampling of the latest tweets:
Web presence discussion from Paul D.about 1 hour ago from mobile web
Day 2- begins! Everyone is excited to get a lot done today!about 1 hour ago from mobile web
The dinner at the amabassador’s residence was beautiful. Ambassador Yamaguchi played a duet with his wife. Mononokehime.about 1 hour ago from mobile web
Thanks to @enfu for all of the great art donated for the conference. We are doing a raffle to win to support @roomtoread.about 15 hours ago from mobile web
We are all wrapped up for day oabout 16 hours ago from mobile web
Discussing the JETAA support of Room to Read.about 18 hours ago from mobile web
Had a busy afternoon of small group discussion on career support, events/activities, community participation, educational supportabout 18 hours ago from mobile web
