tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109266062024-02-27T23:38:58.014-08:00The Stone Bridge BlogNews and Reviews from Stone Bridge PressPLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.comBlogger599125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-9399002673720313872009-10-14T08:30:00.001-07:002009-10-14T08:32:34.277-07:00New Website!<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:180%;" >This blog is now closed. Please visit <a href="http://stonebridge.com/">the new Stone Bridge Press website</a> for news, reviews, community, and so much more!</span>PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-79584374959456492772009-06-25T17:46:00.000-07:002009-06-25T18:09:32.843-07:00CHOICE reviews A Critical Handbook of Japanese Film DirectorsWe love libraries, we love librarians, and we love library media. So we're especially happy about <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/publications/choice/index.cfm"><span style="font-style: italic;">CHOICE</span></a>'s recent, very positive review of Alexander Jacoby's new book, <a href="http://www.stonebridge.com/CriticalHandbook/CriticalHandbook.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A Critical Handbook of Japanese Film Directors</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></a>. N. A. Baker of Earlham College writes:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">This useful volume offers a critical overview and filmography of over 150 Japanese directors from the silent era to the present, excluding anime....[It] ought to please both scholars in search of a handy (and unique) reference title, and more casual Japanese film enthusiasts seeking information....Recommended.</span>PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-36949502124454333302009-06-17T12:21:00.000-07:002009-06-17T12:44:22.897-07:00Man of MangaAs we already noted, <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781933330549?aff=stonebridgepress4">Frederik L. Schodt</a> is <a href="http://stonebridgepress.blogspot.com/2009/04/frederik-l-schodt-awarded-order-of.html">receiving a major award</a> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">— </span>Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">— </span>from the Japanese Government. In the <span style="font-style: italic;">Nichi Bei Times</span>, Ben Hamamoto profiles and interviews Schodt in honor of the award, writing:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Frederik L. Schodt has the distinction of not only being one of the pioneers who brought manga to the English-speaking world — both through his translations of important manga works and the books on manga he has authored — but he is also one of the foremost authorities on the subject today.</span><br /><br />Anyone with an interest in Schodt's work or the history/future of manga should check out the entire article, <a href="http://www.nichibeitimes.com/?p=4059">"Man of Manga: Fred Schodt's Indispensible Contributions to the Art of Manga."</a>PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-22588525701731476582009-06-04T16:58:00.000-07:002009-06-04T17:07:49.646-07:00The Wall Street Journal reviews Pop Goes Korea<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBv8D8pb-suAHfF8Qugw-aV0Z2YJsU5r7mm8L1Q588mQxJ8lVu158zpVLGRDND6r0TqdwRJ8zoJp1AZsH8jl9XdJUE8oHDKYJQ6b64i8l_aQj5pcqE3kqvFJxYvJlnEHnI61N/s1600-h/PopKoreaCVR.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBv8D8pb-suAHfF8Qugw-aV0Z2YJsU5r7mm8L1Q588mQxJ8lVu158zpVLGRDND6r0TqdwRJ8zoJp1AZsH8jl9XdJUE8oHDKYJQ6b64i8l_aQj5pcqE3kqvFJxYvJlnEHnI61N/s320/PopKoreaCVR.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343626446299663234" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>In the <span style="font-style: italic;">Wall Street Journal</span>, Evan Ramstad reviews <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330686?ie=UTF8&tag=stobripre-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1933330686"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pop Goes Korea: </span></a><span class="caption"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330686?ie=UTF8&tag=stobripre-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1933330686"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Behind the Revolution in Movies, Music, and Internet Culture</span></a> by Mark James Russell:<br /><br /></span>"Mr. Russell's book is the first by a non-Korean to explain the rise of Korea's entertainment industries. With lots of pictures, lists (top TV shows, most expensive movies, worst flops) and sidebar articles, the book could hardly be more approachable."<br /><span class="caption"><br />Read the whole review, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124267698913031617.html">"Riding the 'Korean Wave': </a></span><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124267698913031617.html">Exporting ideas and culture, not just steel and silicon."</a>PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-52315577955494786282009-05-19T16:07:00.000-07:002009-05-20T10:49:09.587-07:00Review of A Critical Hand Book of Japanese Film Directors<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.stonebridge.com/CriticalHandbook/CriticalHandbook.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 225px;" src="http://media.perseusdistribution.com/covers/high/9781933330532.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>In the <span style="font-style: italic;">Japan Times</span><a href="http://http//search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fb20090308a1.html"></a>, Mark Schilling reviews the recently released <a href="http://www.stonebridge.com/CriticalHandbook/CriticalHandbook.html"><span>A Critical Handbook of Japanese Film Directors</span></a> by Alexander Jacoby. Schilling praises Jacoby's "diligence and precision" and writes that "Jacoby has written a book to not only consult but also argue with." The review is now online <a href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fb20090308a1.html">here</a>.PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-54505421394679537072009-05-12T15:40:00.000-07:002009-05-12T16:24:44.650-07:00Issac Stone Fish reviews The Pearl Jacket<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkby-GlecRJ-A2GyoyALvZxJhh-O15F8LokZr5Ua8TaG9_c28bk6mrFhJMbHrLzw32R4iR5Paooma7n_1KqZqZB9n21NhipAOfgZ0cp-20u6InPt22-KUtGeaBGoyPbXywNGI6/s1600-h/PearlJacketCVRsmall.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335082165289245682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkby-GlecRJ-A2GyoyALvZxJhh-O15F8LokZr5Ua8TaG9_c28bk6mrFhJMbHrLzw32R4iR5Paooma7n_1KqZqZB9n21NhipAOfgZ0cp-20u6InPt22-KUtGeaBGoyPbXywNGI6/s320/PearlJacketCVRsmall.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://http//www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330627?ie=UTF8&tag=stobripre-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1933330627">The Pearl Jacket and Other Stories: Flash Fiction from Contemporary China</a>, by Shouhua Qi, was recently reviewed by Issac Stone Fish. <a href="http://www.asianreviewofbooks.com/arb/article.php?article=966">Fish’s review</a>, originally published in the <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><a href="http://www.asianreviewofbooks.com/arb/article.php?article=966">Asian Review of Books</a></span>, has since popped up on other websites such as <a href="http://www.upiasia.com/Bookshelf/966/">UPIasia.com </a>and the <a href="http://www.redroom.com/publishedreviews/the-pearl-jacket-and-other-stories-flas-fiction-contemporary-china-shouhua-qi-ed">Red Room</a>. He discusses the books' many stories. One in particular is the story of the “Parrot.” Fish gives an analysis of the story by saying, “The collection ends with the dystopian "Parrot," about a poet whose parrot spews prophecies: "Now, including yourself, there are only 13 people left in this town. That's reality, you understand?" The poet examines the town and finds the parrot's words to be true. Returning home, the parrot's mouth (its body has disappeared) exclaims that the other townspeople have died. The poet concludes all that's left for him is to become a parrot. Possibly symbolizing the death of individuality, this story, like the best of the genre, leaves the reader desiring something longer.”PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-72660121508033866392009-05-11T16:10:00.000-07:002009-05-11T16:20:05.122-07:00Watch Donald Richie on FORA.tvLast month in Berkeley, we were honored by a fantastic evening of conversation between Donald Richie and Tom Luddy, hosted by Berkeley Arts & Letters. FORA.tv has put <a href="http://fora.tv/2009/04/21/Life_in_Japanese_Film_Donald_Richie">the whole thing online</a>, including the introduction by SBP publisher, Peter Goodman. Topics include Ozu's tombstone, Kurosawa, Hirokazu Kore-Eda, China vs. Japan, and much more!<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="264" width="400"><param name="flashvars" value="webhost=fora.tv&clipid=9273&cliptype=full"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="movie" value="http://fora.tv/embedded_player"><embed flashvars="webhost=fora.tv&clipid=9273&cliptype=full" src="http://fora.tv/embedded_player" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="264" width="400"></embed></object>PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-18078378469575712332009-04-29T11:00:00.000-07:002009-04-29T11:27:41.152-07:00Frederik L. Schodt awarded The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3CTVtEbFCHgtii2msG8tmpqrTknsLUH_Pp8J-xZN8ptK0KCjWwvZMv4PVKk5AgY59eSuexgpAAhwPW-nL3MI__PmH0DN66fljxn0gZvzo1NeLQ0R_guympv432ZRUN77prXe/s1600-h/Order+of+the+Rising+Sun+Gold+Rays+with+Rosette.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 254px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3CTVtEbFCHgtii2msG8tmpqrTknsLUH_Pp8J-xZN8ptK0KCjWwvZMv4PVKk5AgY59eSuexgpAAhwPW-nL3MI__PmH0DN66fljxn0gZvzo1NeLQ0R_guympv432ZRUN77prXe/s320/Order+of+the+Rising+Sun+Gold+Rays+with+Rosette.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330181473099047266" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnEYDMmeibMiWxHm2xD5NioR3av0_hEzvKXYPvkwGm5aTdbbN1_mKKqTcqUWIOuc8kiKiAz1bUpOpukIUfelOMu_fQ4LGgYaVJ1XhRHu2JPAqRQQwp8Cx_46eRX1ATJnWS-GBM/s1600-h/FredWithBook.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnEYDMmeibMiWxHm2xD5NioR3av0_hEzvKXYPvkwGm5aTdbbN1_mKKqTcqUWIOuc8kiKiAz1bUpOpukIUfelOMu_fQ4LGgYaVJ1XhRHu2JPAqRQQwp8Cx_46eRX1ATJnWS-GBM/s200/FredWithBook.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330180543396194130" border="0" /></a>Stone Bridge author Frederik L. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Schodt</span> (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330546?ie=UTF8&tag=stobripre-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1933330546">The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Astro</span> Boy Essays</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/188065623X?ie=UTF8&tag=stobripre-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=188065623X">Dreamland Japan</a>, <a href="http://www.stonebridge.com/RANALD/ranald.html">Native American in the Land of the Shogun</a>, <span style="font-style: italic;">America and the Four Japans</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Manga</span><span style="font-style: italic;">! </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Manga</span><span style="font-style: italic;">!</span>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1880656337?ie=UTF8&tag=stobripre-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1880656337">The Four Immigrants <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Manga</span></a>) has been awarded the prestigious <span style="font-weight: bold;">Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette</span> by the Japanese Government for his contribution "to the introduction and promotion of Japanese contemporary popular culture in the United States of America." The <a href="http://www.sf.us.emb-japan.go.jp/archives/PR_e/2009/pr_09_0428a.htm">announcement</a> includes a list of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Schodt's</span> numerous <a href="http://www.sf.us.emb-japan.go.jp/pdf/a_Schodt_en.pdf">accomplishments</a>. This is a spectacular honor, and we are grateful for the recognition!PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-64710443260645085612009-04-23T12:14:00.000-07:002009-04-23T13:14:47.628-07:00Eve Kushner and Crazy for Kanji at Nikkei Matsuri in San Jose this weekend!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.pgbgroup.com/nikkeimatsuri/fish_w_purple.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 176px; height: 213px;" src="http://www.pgbgroup.com/nikkeimatsuri/fish_w_purple.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>Eve Kushner, author of the newly released, super-fun book <a href="http://www.stonebridge.com/CrazyforKanji/CrazyforKanji.html">Crazy for Kanji</a> (and the blogger behind <a href="http://blogs.japanesepod101.com/blog/category/kanji-curiosity/">Kanji Curiosity</a>) will be at <a href="http://www.nikkeimatsuri.org/">Nikkei Matsuri</a> in San Jose Japantown this Sunday, April 26th, signing books and chatting about the mysteries of kanji. If you haven't bought your copy yet, don't worry--books will be available for sale, and for now you can check out these <a href="http://blogs.japanesepod101.com/?page_id=1863">sample pages</a>. Eve will be in the info booth all day. See you there!<br /><br />Thanks to the <span style="font-style: italic;">San Francisco Chronicle </span>for <a href="http://events.sfgate.com/san-jose-ca/events/show/86820144-eve-kushner">listing the event</a>.PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-41848452000064730422009-04-01T13:38:00.000-07:002009-04-20T15:00:06.425-07:00Donald Richie in Berkeley, April 21stWe couldn't be more excited to announce this upcoming event with Donald in Berkeley! Don't miss it!<br /><b><br /></b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.kpfa.org/system/files/u3/Donald_and_Tom_Conversation.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 386px; height: 205px;" src="http://www.kpfa.org/system/files/u3/Donald_and_Tom_Conversation.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><b>Tuesday, April 21<br /></b><span style="font-weight: bold;">A Life in Japanese Film:</span><br /><u><span style="font-weight: bold;">DONALD RICHIE in conversation with TOM LUDDY</span><br /></u>7:30 PM at First Congregational Church of Berkeley (2345 Channing Way at Dana)<br />$10 ($5 students) at the door; co-sponsored by The Booksmith (they'll be selling books)<br /><a href="http://berkeleyarts.org/" eudora="autourl">http://berkeleyarts.org/</a><br /><br />Praised by critics from Susan Sontag to Tom Wolfe, Donald Richie is the foremost writer on Japanese culture in English. Born in Ohio in 1924, he has lived in Japan since 1947, except for time at Columbia University in the early 1950s and as curator of film at New York's Museum of Modern Art in 1968–73. The author of some thirty books and dozens of essays, Richie is especially well known for his instrumental role in introducing Japanese film to the West and for his travel memoir <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1880656698?ie=UTF8&tag=stobripre-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1880656698">The Inland Sea</a>, which was adapted into a popular PBS documentary. In addition to <i>The Inland Sea</i>, his books published by Berkeley-based Stone Bridge Press include <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330619?ie=UTF8&tag=stobripre-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1933330619">Travels in the East</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330236?ie=UTF8&tag=stobripre-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1933330236">A Tractate on Japanese Aesthetics</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1880656612?ie=UTF8&tag=stobripre-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1880656612">The Donald Richie Reader</a>, and <a href="http://www.stonebridge.com/JAPANJOURNALS/JapanJournal.html">The Japan Journals</a>. He recently wrote the forewords to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330538?ie=UTF8&tag=stobripre-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1933330538">A Critical Handbook of Japanese Film Directors</a> by Alexander Jacoby, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330090?ie=UTF8&tag=stobripre-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1933330090">Waiting on the Weather: Making Movies with Akira Kurosawa</a> by Teruyo Nogami.<br /><br />Richie is also an experimental filmmaker. In 1988, he was invited to be the first guest director at the Telluride Film Festival. At this special evening of recollection and conversation, Richie will discuss Japan and his insights into Japanese culture and especially Japanese film with <b>Tom Luddy</b>, co-founder and current co-director of the Telluride Film Festival and an executive and film producer with American Zoetrope.PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-71004434156904314212009-03-31T17:00:00.001-07:002009-03-31T17:33:14.441-07:00Watch out! Anime Classics Zettai! likely to "convert newcomers"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330228?ie=UTF8&tag=stobripre-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1933330228"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8h_-2sfrmuPAMl2YbgmwRzQk_NBkiIyIabSEQ8lXnOO8TyxntC3FMHw2cdcOZHwmouVCjsKWfEr-AoBa9wCHz1Ky0YlTSuWeVfGeSw7VWGly5etwlqYFhaIrh-B96RP7Jon6l/s200/ZettaiCOVER.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319510925349261042" border="0" /></a>Brian Camp and Julie Davis' <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330228?ie=UTF8&tag=stobripre-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1933330228"><span style="font-style: italic;">Anime Classics Zettai!</span></a> gets a full-length review by critic Brett Taylor in the new issue of <a href="http://www.videowatchdog.com/home/home.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Video Watchdog</span></a> (No. 148). Discussing the enthusiastic film guide alongside Dani Cavallero's 2007 book, <span style="font-style: italic;">Anime Intersections</span>, Taylor notes that <span style="font-style: italic;">Zettai!</span> is special because it can be "enjoyed by the newcomer as well as the fan." In fact, he thinks that it's likely to "convert newcomers"--we totally agree, and that's a big part of why we publish books about Japanese film, animated <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330538?ie=UTF8&tag=stobripre-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1933330538">and otherwise</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.videowatchdog.com/home/images/Medium/148.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 265px;" src="http://www.videowatchdog.com/home/images/Medium/148.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The review also appreciates that "Camp takes the time to patiently explain the different formats and styles of Japanese animation," and that Camp and Davis cover such a large selection of intoxicating animated works.PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-15602039181607329032009-01-26T08:06:00.000-08:002009-01-26T08:21:35.219-08:00"Tale of Two Sisters" welcomes "The Uninvited"<img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 169px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrcZG7i5lAf1RMbZfW6tx1jpnjlYbr-46h5KfKBx0j3l2sdy_9iZzZutU3NO4REbZE3Z9IEw_EbUMlYSEb5JwxSiRkI2Utc0KcmWpEAAbmm7aYYV4CbAOfbxkBQmgzlKmUbKE/s200/AsiaShockL.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295637632655878162" /><br /><div>Looking forward to the next fright flick <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">The Uninvited</span>? It's a remake of director Kim Jee-woon's <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Tale of Two Sisters.</span> Like a lot of other Horrorwood movies these days. Check out more about Kim, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Two Sisters</span>, and other Asian fright movies in Patrick Galloway's <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://stonebridge.com/AsiaShock/AsiaShock.html">Asia Shock: Horror and Dark Cinema from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, & Thailand.</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-78188219815357222362009-01-16T10:35:00.001-08:002009-01-16T10:57:52.957-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Cape-Stories-Japanese-Ghetto-Fiction/dp/1933330430/ref=ed_oe_p"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGHrJTatTvanMW6hNuJtSFSg6IZ6LCuq_29XltvJIS-c78EvDbjU6txRy0sJkAGW8_NHkYx9Zuid1iIKvoitT7leMVllBzDKzXC8S9yNNdg7IcVv6bp-q1e1CCKQQUZBvoWwv/s200/51O4CIKOMjL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291964592195209666" border="0" /></a><br />Today the <span style="font-style: italic;">New York Times </span>had a front-page article on the outcast "burakumin" in Japan and their changing fortunes. For more insight into buraku communities in Japan and their social problems of generational violence, see Eve Zimmerman's translation of Kenji Nakagami's <span style="font-style: italic;">The Cape and Other Stories</span>. Powerful and insightful, these grim yet energetic stories present a little-seen view of modern Japan. We used to have more information about this book on our website, but it seems to have been replaced by a shorter listing. I'll see if we can restore the older version. Readers, this is an amazing story collection. Kawabata fans, hmm, maybe this isn't for you.<br /><br />Here's the link to the <span style="font-style: italic;">Times</span>' <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/world/asia/16outcasts.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&sq=outcasts&st=cse&scp=1">story</a>. And here's a link to the <span style="font-style: italic;">Times</span>' <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9903E7D61330F937A15753C1A96F958260&scp=10&sq=burakumin&st=cse">review</a> of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Cape</span> when it was first published.<br /><br />You can obtain <span style="font-style: italic;">The Cape</span> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cape-Stories-Japanese-Ghetto-Fiction/dp/1933330430/ref=ed_oe_p">online</a> or at booksellers worldwide.PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-10975560508715171452008-11-25T23:09:00.000-08:002008-11-25T23:30:28.283-08:00A time to be thankful<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_3Q368elouWc2JQpLNEpGeO5DrhB7RQ_db45Xh_cg6bdaHiwnJf5C3DkUoCEfmmtNInHc6v-Qgb_60vmR8m0paRNB0LLEbUpoMpFzIRl4aWtsLiNgy01FoNaMz5iiehudbIs/s1600-h/naikan.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 185px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_3Q368elouWc2JQpLNEpGeO5DrhB7RQ_db45Xh_cg6bdaHiwnJf5C3DkUoCEfmmtNInHc6v-Qgb_60vmR8m0paRNB0LLEbUpoMpFzIRl4aWtsLiNgy01FoNaMz5iiehudbIs/s200/naikan.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272864516992075330" /></a><br />We've got a lot to be grateful for this season, despite our economic woes and the growing preference for screens and 'zines over tomes. Americans seem to want gravitas in everything except what they read. <div><br /></div><div>But things could be worse, I suppose. McCain could have won. But he didn't, so in January there'll be one less turkey in Washington. One could tell the departing foul (sic) to get stuffed, or just flip him a bird on the way out. </div><div><br /></div><div>But why be mean-spirited? Let's enjoy family and friends and all the things in our lives that we like, and let's be grateful for all the people who have gone out of their way this year to give us a kind word, a pat on the back, a hot meal. </div><div><br /></div><div>For those who want to explore the web of their relationships with others, I encourage them to look at Gregg Krech's fascinating book about <a href="http://stonebridge.com/NAIKAN/naikan.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Naikan</span></a>, a Japanese form of psychotherapy that explores not the self alone but the self in society. In our more crowded world and amid a growing sense of interdependence and mutual concern, it's important to understand not justwhat makes me me, but what makes me and you us. For more about <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">naikan</span></span>, visit the <a href="http://www.todoinstitute.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Todo Institute</span></a>. Happy Thanksgiving!</div>PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-70443457820041887752008-11-12T21:29:00.000-08:002008-11-12T22:19:48.994-08:00"A good night for the English language"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwA2zrX1J8qZs8U0CxnHaWoJYct2wyfCCTd45kixVkiyF7nTdolqTyTxweo4u2GyJ9UQhyben_TciEprxQOkqp_Z2aPHUdWnuHvWgEO1E9iXlFW-wUxh8Cddm4IDHnvJacwRUc/s1600-h/NewYorker.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 145px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwA2zrX1J8qZs8U0CxnHaWoJYct2wyfCCTd45kixVkiyF7nTdolqTyTxweo4u2GyJ9UQhyben_TciEprxQOkqp_Z2aPHUdWnuHvWgEO1E9iXlFW-wUxh8Cddm4IDHnvJacwRUc/s200/NewYorker.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268019003853696402" /></a><div>So glad I dipped into James Wood's wonderful parsing of Obama's speechifying in this week's <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2008/11/17/081117ta_talk_wood"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">New Yorker</span></a></span>. Since Obama's election I've watched You Tube and other postings of Obama's oratory, in particular his fabulous treatise on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWe7wTVbLUU">race in America</a> last spring and his <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jll5baCAaQU">acceptance speech</a> in Chicago. I"ve listened to these two speeches a couple times, yet still I get chills and now, with his victory, even teary-eyed. George never made me cry, only cry out, and Sarah made me wince. But listening to Obama, I get carried off on a near-dreamlike sea of rhetoric and meaning, and feel connected once again to my own past, my country, my civilization. </div><div><br /></div><div>Wood's article analyzes the magic behind the power of Obama to move. It's magic, yes, but not a trick or a fabrication. While Obama of course, like any great orator, weaves together words, rhythms, and images, he shows himself to be more a master allusionist, an exploiter of phrases that resonate through the American subconscious. "By the people, for the people" is maybe the most obvious example. Wood also points to Obama's clever archaism of "where we are met with cynicism" echoing Lincoln's "met on a great battlefield," and his use of the word "promise" to evoke the "promised land" that MLK claimed to see on the eve of his assassination. Barack being smart, and gifted, it is no coincidence that he is drinking from the well of these two leaders, both of whom have become iconic vessels of our nation's yearning for both heroes and salvation.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>It's great to see smart language in a public place. And it's great to see powerful oratory used to generate hope instead of fear. I'm basically a words-on-the-page guy, but when it comes to making sweet music out of language, Obama's got my vote.</div></div>PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-24577264897811324852008-11-03T10:13:00.000-08:002008-11-03T10:34:56.158-08:00Exploring Kyoto called “the ideal travel guide”<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIO5g5VgxQJ0Pp0Etr7SK5ct0cGRL6PA4nStEVJAkPRng1sy8pEhJ1kSkgKoLyw5Ncm3CUZRdzOdp3i78lXFgzZLrfLhq_NzarZ0yHBms8Al4_xDJAUO2Rzs7N8Hk40XG63S75/s1600-h/ExploringKyoto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIO5g5VgxQJ0Pp0Etr7SK5ct0cGRL6PA4nStEVJAkPRng1sy8pEhJ1kSkgKoLyw5Ncm3CUZRdzOdp3i78lXFgzZLrfLhq_NzarZ0yHBms8Al4_xDJAUO2Rzs7N8Hk40XG63S75/s200/ExploringKyoto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264499510048138482" border="0" /></a><br />Midwest Book Review’s “Wisconsin Bookwatch” gives Judith Clancy’s updated guidebook <a href="http://stonebridge.com/ExploringKyoto/ExploringKyoto.html">Exploring Kyoto</a> high praise, calling it “a superbly written and thoroughly ‘user friendly‘ guide to what this beautiful city and its surrounding countryside have to offer,” and declaring it “the ideal travel guide.“<br /><br />Now I know that since Yohan’s demise it has been hard finding this book in Japan, but I’m told that you can get it at Junkudo Kyoto, Kyoto Handicraft Center, Shin Miyako Hotel, Book First Kyoto, with more shops to come. Anyone heading to Japan this fall or in the coming months will absolutely love this book, and it will open the city up to you in ways no other guidebook can. <span style="font-style: italic;">(Japan bookstores: Get your act together already!! Readers — and publishers— are getting impatient!!)</span>PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-36479699959500054772008-11-01T11:49:00.000-07:002008-11-01T12:02:23.029-07:00Big Interview with Fred Schodt in Electric Ant!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjQ1jZGYIWOAX6T5_1yMcKcYe8HykBvJvfiqKDOwZ1nXZMh58p5NCFGdqPhZx9Sqxs7Bsgm5aIHe0AqCmpJWfWfkXK_m1CvJ-ibXF08orsrHhzCWF-RGHh3cbyyKMp3_Ju_sd/s1600-h/dreamland2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 167px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjQ1jZGYIWOAX6T5_1yMcKcYe8HykBvJvfiqKDOwZ1nXZMh58p5NCFGdqPhZx9Sqxs7Bsgm5aIHe0AqCmpJWfWfkXK_m1CvJ-ibXF08orsrHhzCWF-RGHh3cbyyKMp3_Ju_sd/s320/dreamland2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263765180282059554" border="0" /></a><br /> SAME HAT! SAME HAT! This “weekly manga commentary, featuring horror, gag & erotic-grotesque nonsense” reports that the new zine Electric Ant <a href="http://electricantzine.com/">http://electricantzine.com/</a> features a long interview with Fred Schodt, author of <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Manga! Manga</span>, <a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://stonebridge.com/DREAMLAND/dreamland.html">Dreamland Japan! </a>, and <a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://stonebridge.com/AstroBoy/AstroBoy.html">The Astro Boy Essays</a> (among other fine works about Japan and Japanese culture). Look for Electric Ant on your local newsstand or wherever fine ‘zines are sold!<br /> <h1 style="font-family: arial; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></h1><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"></span>PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-46667957767756774392008-10-29T10:02:00.000-07:002008-10-29T17:12:36.227-07:00Oprah Romances Kindle and Kills Off Beauty<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhERUFP2nykHDwsgB_Nf-stiTJcRCBSvoavOh28rEFb68RrUB2GvQNTEccUmUC4r5VWSE5W3IDvk9V0JV4PMj6cThC_UPqf8iDNrMUuBMxiUuiFDR-tTCdoJFmgn7F3G1yGk0y9/s1600-h/oprah_wideweb__470x3120.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 123px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhERUFP2nykHDwsgB_Nf-stiTJcRCBSvoavOh28rEFb68RrUB2GvQNTEccUmUC4r5VWSE5W3IDvk9V0JV4PMj6cThC_UPqf8iDNrMUuBMxiUuiFDR-tTCdoJFmgn7F3G1yGk0y9/s320/oprah_wideweb__470x3120.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262733036504534082" border="0" /></a><br />Linda the Designer (no relation to Joe the Plumber) was bemoaning how Oprah came out last week and announced her love for the artless cold aesthetic of the Kindle. The woman who singlehandedly made books relevant to the lives of millions of daytime TV watchers and generated untold millions of dollars for big US book publishers has told her audience to stop, don't buy a book, think of the trees you'll be saving instead by downloading everything you need onto a little plastic and silicon brick.<br /><br />You get one font, but in lots of sizes! Text can be justified or not, your choice! That whole notion of giving life to the text by allowing room to breathe on the page, or suggesting an elegant argument with a classic typeface? Well, fuggadeboutit. The only thing a "designer" has to "design" now is how to deliver a pdf to the kindlemaker.<br /><br />Am I unhappy? Not entirely. It'll be good to save the cost of fuel, not to mention the occasional tree. No more happy UPS delivery screwups!<br /><br />But I'll miss the look and feel of the book, and the unique personality given it by its designer. With fewer aesthetic qualities to interfere with the message, maybe language will become more about content and less about the vehicle of transmission.<br /><br />I suppose that could apply to human interactions as well. We say that we judge people on their deeds and their words, but that's not entirely true. We need to see and touch other humans to take their measure, to see if they're a good fit, believable, appealing, whatever. It'll be a while before a human kindle stirs Oprah into a froth of ecstasy, but I bet that day is not too far off.PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-89016068730283512882008-10-12T20:37:00.000-07:002008-10-13T08:43:49.750-07:00It's Sunday, thinking about wisdom and leadership<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3bOVvrE4aa-V6ItZkYlgATdATdXGv3K3oHTZaLt2LWKdsc04qq_FI-C9Dyv_Wpm4O71Rd8gS6r3v0bj35m8Wq6yiOiJ0gRiqb0NBZOT7NPeh5D_ROB3-e0nM_fw_wn-h4suX/s1600-h/bushbarabud2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3bOVvrE4aa-V6ItZkYlgATdATdXGv3K3oHTZaLt2LWKdsc04qq_FI-C9Dyv_Wpm4O71Rd8gS6r3v0bj35m8Wq6yiOiJ0gRiqb0NBZOT7NPeh5D_ROB3-e0nM_fw_wn-h4suX/s320/bushbarabud2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256484044182900690" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Okay, students, this question comes from this year's SAT: visual pattern recognition. <div><br /></div><div>Of the three figures shown in the photo, which one does not belong with the other two?</div><div><br /></div><div>(Quiz courtesy of Stone Bridge Press, your source for <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://stonebridge.com/CrazyWisdom/CrazyWisdom.html">crazy wisdom</a>.)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-14160973676987342922008-10-10T15:15:00.000-07:002008-10-10T18:13:07.023-07:00Ideas for authors to boost their visibility and power<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8uAR3o9TNBxXLmvcqFD9non_lROEt8q5fdPpuT8ksxzw6j0x8JrHWQPLvuscjeF46Fn5fph3VOiKwiOSXAVXx4f7XDDgUCn5XIO9w2GpS2dPnTeuV5MiRDLWiWxrpA67dJnjQ/s1600-h/publishingbasics.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8uAR3o9TNBxXLmvcqFD9non_lROEt8q5fdPpuT8ksxzw6j0x8JrHWQPLvuscjeF46Fn5fph3VOiKwiOSXAVXx4f7XDDgUCn5XIO9w2GpS2dPnTeuV5MiRDLWiWxrpA67dJnjQ/s200/publishingbasics.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255658184014619826" border="0" /></a><br />I don’t usually do this, but I want to advise all authors (in particular Stone Bridge authors) that they click on the headline link or <a href="http://www.publishingbasics.com/2008/10/02/10-ways-to-build-your-author-platform-online-get-published-sell-more-books-and-be-an-online-superstar/">here</a> to read a very succinct summary by <a href="http://www.publishingbasics.com/author/stephanie-chandler/">Stephanie Chandler</a> of things you can do to increase your online visibility and, ultimately, your sales and earnings. Very good stuff, and a fine “meta-ironic” example of an online article doing exactly what it is recommending to others. (Published on the Publishing Basics site.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">And it has also occurred to me . . .</span> Why is it not enough to have just a book these days? Just a book! The market does demand it, but isn’t it a bit tiresome to keep drilling down and through the internet blogs and discussion groups and featured websites until there is nothing left to learn? Knowledge is an addiction; once you “like“ something it’s hard to stop pursuing it. Beyond a certain point, the whole viral marketing/blogosphere/webcentric hoohah may be just a non-nutritive excercise in feeding the brain’s sweet tooth.PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-5700987743780307142008-10-09T10:30:00.000-07:002008-10-09T10:53:01.935-07:00Murakami at Berkeley this weekend; lecture + symposium<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWp0b7fqbCL1LsQXD1ZTYK8qMFSTcdOyIZ0EvHuI-rKsgwG5T01Ij7YgR_eTNOOq-oPAxbW1FbrdvmCM7YODB0UH4TzEZNMBghjxxiTu3ZzF32Zmx7Myt706ZMgi-V1j5xcTx/s1600-h/WildHarukiChase.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWp0b7fqbCL1LsQXD1ZTYK8qMFSTcdOyIZ0EvHuI-rKsgwG5T01Ij7YgR_eTNOOq-oPAxbW1FbrdvmCM7YODB0UH4TzEZNMBghjxxiTu3ZzF32Zmx7Myt706ZMgi-V1j5xcTx/s200/WildHarukiChase.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255212937308181042" border="0" /></a><br />This past spring we published <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://stonebridge.com/WildHaruki/WildHarukiChase.html">A Wild Haruki Chase: Reading Murakami Around the World</a>.</span> This book was compiled and edited by The Japan Foundation and contains an introduction by Jay Rubin as well as essays by Richard Powers, Shozo Fujii, Roland Kelts, and others, as well as a special essay on translation by Haruki Murakami. We're happy to announce that the book has been very well received, and we are now about to reprint it. (Copies may be in short supply, but should still be available on Amazon and in the bookshops that were farsighted enough to order them in the first place!)<br /><br />And now, if you live in or near Berkeley, California, you can experience the Murakami phenomenon first hand!<br /><br />As part of the 50th Anniversary celebration of the Center for Japanese Studies, Haruki Murakami will present a reading and lecture in Japanese and English, to be followed by a conversation with Roland Kelts. The presentation will take place on Saturday, October 11, 2008, at Zellerbach Hall on the Berkeley campus.<br /><br />From the event description: "The author's numerous works, which have been translated into 36 languages, lead the reader along the interstices between the mundane and the sublime. His work has been described as easily accessible, yet profoundly complex. Murakami's reading and lecture in Japanese and English will be followed by a conversation with Roland Kelts (Tokyo University lecturer and author of <span style="font-style: italic;">Japanamerica</span>) and a question and answer period with the audience."<br /><br />The next day, Sunday, October 12, at The Alumni House on the Cal Campus, there will be a special program examining Murakami's works in translation. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">This event is free and open to the public.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Japanese Literature on the Global Stage</span><br />The Murakami Symposium<br />Sunday, October 12<br />10:00 AM-1:00 PM<br />Alumni House<br /><br />Panel:<br /><br />"Crazed Translator Gives Japanese Author Excedrin Headache"<br />Jay Rubin (Harvard Univ.)<br /><br />"Lost in Translation? Murakami Haruki and the Japanization of the English Language"<br />Rebecca Suter (Univ. of Sydney)<br /><br />"A Spatial Odyssey or, It‚s All Greek to Me: East Meets West in Murakami Haruki's Kafka On the Shore"<br />Matthew Strecher (Winona State Univ.)<br /><br />"Are There Any More Like You at Home? Cloning Murakami Haruki for the US Market"<br />Stephen Snyder (Middlebury College)<br /><br />Moderated by H. Mack Horton (UC Berkeley) and Alan Tansman (UC Berkeley)PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-90606261270588134652008-09-30T14:31:00.000-07:002008-10-01T12:13:57.901-07:00We need your kanji photos!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iNe39H3jgTq2xQlsGTlNycOvs38lTyhuzroLCM-sO6A9utLWBX5Zr7orlC4dhL-0wzeCa0cyuJcytsXAkwX5HpWm0oGxWIeh9PtpkakpTlpxiSE-_XlPcO6IhXvJYL3sbkPe/s1600-h/CrazyforKanji.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iNe39H3jgTq2xQlsGTlNycOvs38lTyhuzroLCM-sO6A9utLWBX5Zr7orlC4dhL-0wzeCa0cyuJcytsXAkwX5HpWm0oGxWIeh9PtpkakpTlpxiSE-_XlPcO6IhXvJYL3sbkPe/s200/CrazyforKanji.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251934757512688386" border="0" /></a><br />Hey readers and kanji fans . . . we’re still looking for photos to add to our nearly completed book <a href="http://www.evekushner.com/writing/?p=53"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Crazy for Kanji</span> </a>by the amazing Eve Kushner. We’ve already got a bunch of photos, but we need more! If you have a photo of kanji in daily use, or kanji weird, funny, perverse, or distinctive, please send it to <a href="mailto:kanji@stonebridge.com">kanji@stonebridge.com</a>.<br /><br />If we use your kanji image, we’ll send you a copy of Eve’s book for free!<br /><br />Here are the rules:<br /><ul><li>tif or jpeg</li><li>300 dpi and up to 4 inches wide.</li><li>black and white or color</li><li>include your last name in the file name</li><li>give your name as you want it to appear in the photo credit; or indicate "anonymous"</li><li>provide a caption or a brief description of what's in the photo (assuming you know!), plus your preferred email contact address<br /></li></ul>IMPORTANT!! You <span style="font-weight: bold;">must</span> have permission to let us use the image. It can't belong to someone else and be submitted without that owner's permission.<br /><br />The publisher decides which photos will be used and retains nonexclusive rights covering all usage, media, reprints, etc.<br /><br />Don’t forget to check out<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://blogs.japanesepod101.com/blog/category/kanji-curiosity/"> </a><a href="http://blogs.japanesepod101.com/blog/category/kanji-curiosity/">Eve’s blog</a> about kanji.<br /><br />Thanks!PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-48567633020521092992008-09-23T22:46:00.000-07:002008-09-23T23:01:21.993-07:00Why I Like Amazon's Kindle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQklVk_5zYcDE-Se_s-z40tlqpIqGtauE0oWY5lmXe76q1IBcMgfoHOZZLVMLAWVEF1tgF5qDR7z1EbHt-3ICjOyMLW4X2MtT-Kc4UIrukFWC-OVMwz3XaemFkaRikUJp2NcM/s1600-h/kindle.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQklVk_5zYcDE-Se_s-z40tlqpIqGtauE0oWY5lmXe76q1IBcMgfoHOZZLVMLAWVEF1tgF5qDR7z1EbHt-3ICjOyMLW4X2MtT-Kc4UIrukFWC-OVMwz3XaemFkaRikUJp2NcM/s200/kindle.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249463888353615666" /></a><br /><br />Heres a very different take on what I wrote about last time.<div><br />*****</div><div><br />I've had a Kindle since June. Critics complain that it's not "Apple-like" enough. But Steve Jobs has famously said that readers don't want ebooks in the first place, so I suppose if the Kindle were truly Apple-like it would never have got off the drawing board (where Steve's hockey-puck mouse should have stayed; Apple's design sense is not unerring, you know). <div><br />The Kindle is the closest thing so far to the Holy Grail of e-publishing: a device that is portable, readable, simple to operate, and melts into the background. It's what you do with the Kindle that is important, and not the Kindle itself. At some point, you don't notice the Kindle, but you realize you can't live or work without it.<div><br />Well, I'm not <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">there</span> yet. But I'm liking my Kindle more and more. And it's not because the Kindle is a superior reading device. I like instead how easy it is to buy a book, no matter where you are. Two months ago we were driving through rural Oregon, listening to some political talk show. A book was mentioned. I turned on Kindle's wireless and was able to find and download a sample chapter of that book within 2 minutes. We were traveling 80 mph and probably a good 50 miles from the nearest bookstore. That Bezos et al. were able to graft the 1-click experience of instant gratification onto a whole new piece of hardware and get it right on the very first try is simply amazing.</div><div><br />Something else I like: I have to read a lot of manuscripts. They're heavy, and expensive to print out. I used to carry them in a bag on overnight or longer trips, and they always made me wonder why I didn't become a styrofoam cup salesman. With Kindle, I can send text documents to myself at my own Kindle address, and Amazon converts them back into Kindle-readable format and sends them direct to my Kindle. So I can carry dozens of mss without adding weight to my luggage.</div><div><br />And what's not to like about the savings in downed trees and fuel charges? As a publisher, I've seen the cost of shipping books to stores go through the roof, while at the same time consumers still resist paying more than $20 for a paperback. With a Kindle, there's no fuel, and no printing or storage charges for that matter. Skinflint readers can buy most Kindle books for less than $10.</div><div><br />Now that bookstores are demanding free freight from publishers,<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">along with their unlimited returns privileges,</span></span> anything we can do to go direct to readers is going to be better for us and better for our customers. Bookstores thus "disintermediated" will have to make do with selling journals, calendars, bargain books, and chai I suppose, or will have to do what they should have done years ago: accept that the publishing world is changing and that digital publishing in the form of Print on Demand and ebooks is going to be a big part of the mix in the years to come. (Why bookstores continually miss out on obvious trends is a mystery to me. I'll write more about this later.)</div><div><br />Kindle 2.0 no doubt will have a slicker design, less clunky navigation tools, a lower price, better response time, a workable internet browser. But for a first try, I rate it a great success. I like the world that it represents. It expands the reach and influence of publishers and writers at just the time when it is getting harder to find readers and much more costly economically and environmentally to get the content they want into their hands. Who needs hands when you've got screens? </div><div><br />*****</div><div><br />Yes, we mourn the loss of the bound book. But I wonder if that's not just blind attachment to tradition. In 2-3 generations, who will care, and what is it exactly that will really be lost? I'd be curious to know what you all think about that.<br /><br /></div></div></div>PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-37859501650491502472008-09-16T23:30:00.000-07:002008-09-16T23:40:36.637-07:00Birthing the Book, Against All OddsI've just spent the last two days battling the likes of the US Post Office, DHL, ATT, and a bunch of other vendors of goods and services. I'm sure you all know the routine. Call, get placed on hold, lose the connection, redial, wait, talk to someone in Bombay with a silver tongue who knows less than you do. It's frustrating. <br /><br />How disturbing and humbling it is, then, to find out that some customers and colleagues are just as frustrated with <span style="font-style:italic;">me</span>. In the same two days, Stone Bridge has had an irate retail shop complain about what they perceived as poor service, and I've had more than one author express frustration at my, um, lack of promptness at communicating. I always tell people it's OK to prod me, and by now I guess I'm so used to being nagged that I rely on it as a form of triage to determine which crises I will attend to first.<br /><br />So, in the midst of ongoing incompetence and carelessness, not a small amount of it of my own making, it's a wonder that our books ever get out the door and make it to the correct shelf of your average neighborhood bookstore (thanks to DHL, sometimes they just don't). It strikes me that over the years the process of publishing books has evolved to guard against quintessentially human failures. The author writes, and writes well, but the editors edit and edit and edit again. Then there are the fact checkers and the proofreaders, the peer reviewers, the publicists, the designers, all of whom poke and tweak and meticulously chase down what we in the trade call "infelicities."<br /><br />In the end we have what we hope is bullet-proof, a good read and a solid production. The world around it may be going to hell, but, dammit, this little book is going to be birthed without typos, grammatical errors, or clashing text and display fonts.<br /><br />Maybe that's one reason we value books. They are one little corner of existence treated as if being right or not counts for something. One aspect of civilization that goes down better when produced slowly, like a pig buried in a pit of coals and covered over for a day or two or three to let the goodness cook through. Books are the antithesis of our instant blog culture, which is why they will endure or, for that matter, die out.PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10926606.post-69288268997825593492008-08-27T17:07:00.000-07:002008-08-27T17:28:48.957-07:00Chinese Business Etiquette readies for new release<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-KwGmLDZ3k2Gmfd7hh3fRpM11MZznQ9MwalfaFaUMw6lt0ybwc2-LoLeBrJBnXMte3EN-tcG7xQJc4ODR_Dy5rmZLCn1dZNkTl3hkoPy-GSGP2uNI6lN87OWjrZM6FFmtR2zL/s1600-h/CBE.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-KwGmLDZ3k2Gmfd7hh3fRpM11MZznQ9MwalfaFaUMw6lt0ybwc2-LoLeBrJBnXMte3EN-tcG7xQJc4ODR_Dy5rmZLCn1dZNkTl3hkoPy-GSGP2uNI6lN87OWjrZM6FFmtR2zL/s200/CBE.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239358632671192178" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Now that the Olympics are over, it’s back to business! Dreaming of selling every person in China 1 widget and a thingie? Learn the ropes, and fast, with our just-launching <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chinese Business Etiquette: The Practical Pocket Guide</span> by business expert Stefan H. Verstappen. This short handbook covers everything from travel tips to negotiating strategies, with insight into culture and demeanor to help you figure out what’s going on and what you need to do to succeed. Competition is fierce. Personal connections count like nowhere else. Are you prepared? <a href="http://tiny.cc/OclPl"><span style="font-style: italic;">Preorder today!</span></a><br /><br />Here’s what Stefan has to say about how to deal with one very popular technique for making you vulnerable during your business trip:<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><blockquote></blockquote></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Attrition</span><br />Chinese negotiators have been known to wear down foreign negotiators by various diversions and extended discussions. Taking clients out for a dinner, karaoke, and drinking games into the early hours of the morning before important meetings is a favorite tactic.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Countermove</span><br />By preparing yourself and insuring due diligence ahead of your trip, you will be better able to deal with unexpected developments and make smart decisions despite suffering from lack of sleep and a possible hangover. Treat your trip to China like a marathon race. Pace yourself accordingly. Follow the Confucian model of moderation in all things to help you stay sharp and unfrazzled during what is ordinarily an exhilarating but taxing experience.<br /></blockquote>PLGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12890885031146789666noreply@blogger.com