Early May, my friend invited me to an event in Book Court in Brooklyn. It was about this literary publication with feature stories from lesser known writers in Japan and in the English community.
The writer Toh EnJoe reading his story- I think this writer has a quiet peace to him, his story is full of contemplative curiosity- the story in the book is about a boy and his brother, taking care of an aging grandfather and how they imagine the mobility of an immobile grandfather by capturing the moments in frames and manipulating physical gestures. There’s definitely a lurking sadness but also an optimism displayed in the end which words could not communicate. Trying not to spoil the story.
Volume 4, this is a yearly publication
Signed copy by editors and writers
I rarely go to readings in general because I am far from connected to the literary world although I enjoy reading and analyzing a lot. Blame it on the lack of time, too much to do, lack of concentration, and so forth, but I was impressed with the writers, one especially. When Matthew Sharpe read his 2 stories, they are both one shots, very short stories. It’s humorous as he reads it and it also leaves you hanging and thinking. His stories are also featured in this volume- they ranged from one long paragraph to almost 2 pages long.
I like the talks of how the translator also has to be a writer and translating is also a creative process. It’s the bridging of multiple cultures from different linguistic branches.
Very interesting! I just want to share with you guys. If you don’t have a lot of time or attention span for a novel or novella, give these short stories a try 🙂
nanansa 