Lost In Translation

Structures of Kyoto

The Writers of Kyoto (WiK) have just produced the fourth anthology of writings about Kyoto, Structures Of Kyoto: Writers in Kyoto Anthology 4, edited by Rebecca Otowa and Karen Lee Tawarayama. It boasts contributions from 24 different writers, and once again there is an eclectic and assorted collection of writing styles-from fiction, nonfiction, prose, poetry with photographs and illustrations-this time on the theme of “structures of Kyoto.” There is in addition a note from the editors of the collection and a Forward by Judit Clancy with a map of the location of some structures mentioned in the collection as well as a an original proposal about the future of tourism in Kyoto in Alex Kerr’s Afterword, “A New Philosophy.” The Introductory section includes a ruminative essay about Rona Conti’s decades long study of calligraphy paired with an evocative WiK Writing Competition 3^rd place poem, “Interlude Kyoto” from 2020 by Brenda Yates. The first part has pieces that commemorate famous city structures such as Ryoan-ji in Mark Hovane’s “Rocks, Gravel and a Bit of Moss”) as well as three contrabutions dedicated to the Kamogawa river among others: Ina Sanjana 2019 WiK Writing Competition 2^nd place winning poem “Sunrise Over the Kamogawa”, a spirited fiction offering, “The Life Dispensary” from editor Tawarayama, as well as a fond remembrance of a bike ride along the river in Robert Weiss’ “Converging Waters (Kamogawa Delta Blues).” Among the other selections has John Dougill discussing at the historical associations of “Three Literary Cafes” and editor Otowa ruminating on “Structures of Tea.” After this section there is an Interlude (Kyukei) with a focus on philosophical musings in Reggie Pawle’s “The Magic of the Training Structures of Zen and Kyoto.” Part Two includes some structures outside Kyoto city proper as well as some abstract structures. Edward J. Taylor takes a contemplative walk around the village of Ohara in “Ohara, After Scarlet Leaves” and in Simon Rowe’s short story the protagonist has an epiphany during okuribi festival (the subject of Lisa Wilcut’s WiK Writing Competition 1^st prize winning poem of the same name) in “One Dog Day in Summer.” Jan Williams mediation on the Buddhist concept of gorinto is analyzed in “Beyond Zen-kyoto’s Gointo Connections”, Catherine Pawasarat takes a deep dive into the Gion festival in “The Gion Festival-A Hero’s Journey”, and John Einarsen has produced a meditative pictorial essay with commentary on the “Dragon Gate of the World” that leads to Nanzen-ji in “The Gate.” The anthology that boasts a variety of writing styles and visuals adds another layer of introspection to a city that is brimming with contemplative structures.

Fresh-Air Fiend: Travel Writings, 1985-2000

Fresh-Air Fiend (2000) by Paul Theoroux is another collection of non ficiton that is mostly travel stories, but lots of other things too. There are several profiles on celebrities and others as well as introductions to his books and other books he reveres.

A Pale View Of Hills

Kazuo Ishiguro's debut is the subtle and brief A Pale View Of Hills (1982). It is about a woman named Etsuko's memory of a summer in which she met a woman named Sachiko who had a young antisocial daughter who planned to move to America with a man to start a new life. This echoes the later life of Etsuko. So it is something like the retelling of her own story--there are many ellipses of time that make the story somewhat confusing. And it is these aspects that make it a somewhat haunting work as well-the things left unsaid in the story.

And A Bottle Of Rum

Wayne Curtis has written an entertaining and insightful book about rum and its affect on the world in And A Bottle Of Rum (2006). Each chapter focuses on a specific rum drink to tell the story of rum through the ages. The Introduction focuses on Molasses, then we have 1. Kill-devil, 2. Grog, 3. Flip, 4. Medford Rum, 5. Planter's Punch, 6. Demon Rum, 7. Daiquiri, 8. Rum and Coca-Cola, 9. Mai Tai, and 10. Mojito. Among the things he chronicles is the that rum used to be distilled in the US in the early days. Furthermore, he looks at Hemingway and his attachment to the daiquiri as well as the rise of Tiki cocktail culture among other digressions on this history of a new world alcohol.

Figures In A Landscape

Paul Theroux's Figures In A Landscape (2018) is his third collection of nonfiction pieces. There are a variety of pieces ranging from celebrity profiles (Elizabeth Taylor, Olive Sacks, and Robin Williams) to essays on travel and literary essays-including introduction to books by the likes of Joseph Conrad, Paul Bowles, Graham Greene, and Georges Simeone. Those were among my favorites but there were plenty of others that gave insight the author who wrote about his family, life, and attitude to biographies. All in all very insightful and entertaining.

A Quiet Flame

Philip Kerr's fifth Bernie Gunther mystery, A Quiet Flame (2008) takes place in 1950 after the war in Argentina. It is specifically Argentina, because historically this is where many Nazis fled after the war to a Juan Peron led government that was sympathetic to the Nazis. In fact, Kerr's book retains a number of true life figures such as Adolf Eichman and Joseph Mengele among others. It con tins many flashbacks to a case Gunther was working in 1936 in Berlin that helps him crack the case he's working on in 1950. There's plenty of Raymond Chandler inspired dialogue as ell  romance and lots of action-another entertaining addition ot he series.

The Great Game

The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia (1990) by Peter Hopkirk is an entertaining and fascinating look at the quest for empire in Central Asia between Great Britain and Russia at the end of the 19th century. I was inspired to read this book since I was recently visiting Kirghistan and Kazakhstan. It was interesting to learn about how important Afghanistan played such a major role as the entryway to India from Central Asia. And India seemed to be the prize of both countries. Crisis is averted seemingly because of the Russo-Japanese War at the end of the century. Hopkirk wrote very readable chapters despite the numerous individuals that played a role in the great game. Furthermore, many of the countries discussed have new names and perhaps new borders-so just figuring out where and what Hopkirk was talking about was something of a challenge. Nonetheless, it was a compelling and fascinating look at specific place and time that had many interesting stories to be told.

Moving Parts

I best know Prabda Yoon author of Moving Parts (2002) as the screenplay author of indie Thai films. This is the second collection of short stories put out by Tilted Axis Press. The overall theme of the collection is body parts and it has some fantastical elements in several of the stories on par with "magic realism." It is somewhat uneven, but inventive and engaging in most stories. One of my favorite stories was "A Hairy Situation" which finds a young and appealing music teacher with long hair giving the student class beauty with long flowing locks a ride home. It seems innocent enough but there are hints of mischievousness between the two. This story like most ends with a subtle twist-some of the twists are less subtle, but that seems to be the format. Some other standout stories for me were: "Destiny's a Dick," "A New Hand," "Long Heart," and "Butt Plug."

The Border

I finally finished the last book of Don WInslow's The Power of the Dog Trilogy, The Border (2019), and ti was another compelling and sprawling story of the war on drugs and the people effeted by it. Once again there are real-life events used in the fictional story of the drug trade. For example, the ripped from the headlines  like the murder of Mexican students who borrowed a bus for their protests and ended up tortured and killed. Other strands looked at the detention centers for children who made it to the US and the fate of junkies who can't quit among others. At the heart is Art Keller who has lived through the trilogy and is the main storyteller, but there are several other main characters who give us a birds eye view of the drug trade and its connection to politics-the John Dennison presidential character doesn't sound like Trump, but acts like him in many ways. Another powerful and entertaining book about the war on drugs by a master storyteller.

The Wet And The Dry

I first became aware of Lawrence Osborne through his memoir of living in Bangkok-Bangkok Days, that was entertaining and painfully true while displaying a fine style of writing that made the mundane seem compelling. I suppose many of these same attributes can be said of Osborne’s The Wet and the Dry (2013) a hard book to categorize. I suppose on one level it is a memoir about Osborne’s life living in the Middle East as a lush, a person who enjoys a good drink in a place where alcohol can be hard to find in countries that see it as a great sin. But it is also a mediation on the allure of alcohol and how important it can be to someone like Osborne. And on a third level it is a travelogue with bits and pieces about he cultures of the places he drinks-Lebanon, Dubai, Oman, Pakistan, Egypt, the Muslim majority south part of Thailand, and surprisingly Scotland among other places. He has great wit and style inscribing his escapades as the following examples will display:

“But the scent of distilled liquor and spilled beer that defines a bar of this kind cannot be avoided. A Muslim friend in Dhofar once told me that, for him at least, it was like the smell of a roasting pig: appalling and beckoning, and irresistible on the level not of appetites or mental desire but on the level of dopamine and the hormonal mysteries. “And therefore more dangerous, “ he said with the utmost gravity, “than you can possibly imagine.”

And: “…I found Dubai grimly interesting. Brash, unnerving, and false but not dull, not starved of identity, as if identity were a nutrient that never failed to deliver.” Another thought provoking and entertaining memoir from a virtuoso of the genre.