I Am A Japanese Writer

I came across some contemporary book recommendations from Junot Diaz (author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and Drown) somewhere on the net and I was intrigued by his selection of Dany Laferriere's I Am A Japanese Writer (2001). It is an inventive book and it may be something like a Richard Brautigan novel (who is referenced in one section called "Richard Brautigan's Cowboy Boots") due to the fact that the novel is essentially a loosely collected series of vignettes. The main theme seems to be identity, which might be of no surprise coming from a black Haitian born, writer who lives in Montreal and writes in French who has a fascination for Japanese literature. However, he seems to have pegged the Japanese obsession/preoccupation with identity and Japnese-ness and how they are seen in the world. He gives many of his characters Japanese author's names like: Murakami, Tanizaki, and Murasaki. One of the elements of the novel involves a group of mostly Japanese female expats living in Montreal that he crosses paths with as well as two Japanese consulate member's (Mr. Murakami and Mr. Tanizaki) interest in his forthcoming novel titled: I Am A Japanese Writer. Throughout the story the protagonist is reading Basho. There are several literary references and nods to a host of other writers and cultural figures: Tolstoy, Proust, Ryu Murakami,Mishima, Kawabata, Yoko Ono, Joan Baez, Bjork, Borges, etc. I found it to be a somewhat slight (181 pages with lots of blank space), entertaining diversion.