Shawn Mahler's Blog, page 2

Chizawa Bay Now Available on Amazon

Well, the long wait is over and the panic has set in;)

Chizawa Bay, As Ugly As I Am is now available on Amazon in both ebook and paperback. Thank you to everyone who pre-ordered and to all who sent in lovely messages of encouragement. And many more thanks to everyone who’s been waiting patiently for the paperback version. I was truly surprised by how many people preferred paper over digital.

It’s an odd feeling putting your art out into the world. There’s a sense of pride and accomplishment. A desire to have your themes and thoughts read by a larger community. And at the same time, an overwhelming sense of paranoia, constantly praying that you haven’t made any mistakes or written something absolutely nonsensical. I guess we will find out soon how it all plays out.

I wrote the book, so of course I’m going to recommend you read it. It’s about life, what’s important and what we can do to make the most out of it. There are some real nuggets of wisdom spread throughout. Have an open mind and heart while you read. It may not be a world you’re accustomed to, but if you can make it to the end you may understand a bit better about what keeps me tied to the amazing land of Japan.

— Shawn

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God Loves Ugly

Let life be a bowl of melted ice cream. — Sean Daley

I grew up in South Central Los Angeles, right on the corner of King and Normandie, the heart of the ‘hood. Hollywood and the media likes to portray my old neighborhood as a land of gang violence and drug wars, and admittedly, there is a lot of truth in that. However, that’s not what I saw. That’s not what I experienced. South Central LA, for better or worse, is just one of many communities around the world caught up in the beautiful struggle.

Without a doubt there is an ugliness to urban life (and life in general). Some cities are worse off than others, everything from street drugs, to prostitution, disease, unemployment, to systemic disenfranchisement. Yet mixed in with all this ugliness are some genuinely amazing people. Most of them are just trying to get by, building lives out of what has been offered.

I grew up next door and played video games daily with two brothers. The younger being a crack-baby. We never once spoke about that little detail and it in no way changed how we felt about each other. We are still good friends to this day. The older brother has pretty much spent his entire life slogging through 50+ hour workweeks at a supermarket to pay rent and medical bills for his younger brother. He’s still single and as far as I know never had a serious girlfriend. He’s dedicated nearly every waking hour to making sure his younger brother has some semblance of a normal life. There is a sadness here, but also something so extremely beautiful…

My elementary school was approximately 90% Hispanic, I was part of the other 10%. My classmates were mostly all first generation Mexican-Americans. I remember visiting their homes and meeting their families. My Spanish was terrible then and remains so now, but that’s how we had to communicate. Just more details we never spoke of, but they probably didn’t enter the U.S. according to government protocol. They went about life as normally as they could, taking jobs as house cleaners, gardeners, cashiers, fry chefs, construction workers and mechanics. They loved, fought and prayed the same as all catholic-American families do, but at any moment, it could have all been ripped apart. Living illegal always carries such threats, but the rewards may indeed be worth the risks. I’m very proud to say that all of us from that inner city, immigrant-populated elementary school have gone on to make very good and stable lives for ourselves. And now a second generation of South Central Mexican-Americans are building upon the sacrifices of their parents and grandparents. Roses are growing up through the concrete of Spanish LA and it is truly a beautiful thing. 

It may not be perfect, and there is a lot of pain involved, but even an ugly existence can be enjoyable. And in some ways sweeter.

Perhaps my tastes are a bit perturbed, but a bowl of melted ice cream is a lot more appetizing than a perfect scoop. There’s no frosty bite and the silkiness is more pleasing to the tongue. It’s not how ice cream is meant to be consumed, but it still tastes great.

I moved away from my beloved Los Angeles to sojourn the world and now find myself stranded on the island of Japan. My life here convinces me that the tale of Odysseus and the island of Ogygia may actually be rooted in fact. I too am surrounded by playful nymphs who have done a marvelous job of binding me to an enchanting and sinful land.

Japan is not the U.S., not in the slightest. It is a culture and people completely unique in their ways and philosophy. There is no city here that can compare itself to the likes of LA or New York. The ugliness of Japanese urban life is not associated with drugs, violence or crime, though those things do exist. There is an altogether different kind of beautiful struggle. It is a struggle of the soul, mind and heart.

A tension, strong and ever present, is always felt — a tug and pull between personal desire and social obedience.

One of the first pieces of Japanese wisdom I was forced to wrap my head around is the notion of 本音建前 (honne tatemae). There are many interpretations for this expression, but for today we’ll define it as, “The Truth and The Facade”. We all have a face we show to the outside world, which according to social norms, must at all times be beautiful, elegant and clean. Then there is the face only our family and closest friends may know — the face which shows our many hideous scars.

A wealthy Japanese friend of mine is trapped in a loveless and some might say cruel marriage. She won’t even consider divorce. She was married at 20, has never held a job, and has never lived on her own. She says the very thought of being a single, middle-aged woman is too scary to contemplate. But when she’s out and about she always looks very nice in her Gucci blouses and seems contented driving her Ferrari 360 Modena to the international supermarket.

Another friend of mine travels to China quite frequently on business, but also to see his second family, which his first family knows nothing about. He married his Japanese wife out of duty, because his parents had arranged the marriage and told him he must. He married his Chinese wife out of love. He’s certain the two families wouldn’t get along so it’s best he keeps them apart.

One might say I’m a very bad judge of character and I like to hang out with unscrupulous types. That might be true, but I mention these stories because they are indicative of an ugliness that isn’t uncommon here. It’s entirely different from what I saw in my youth. Yet, they share the same foundation. These folks are making the best out of what life has given them. It may appear abhorrent to many, but there is some enjoyment to be had. It’s all melted ice cream.

If you believe in a divine entity, we might agree that it is responsible for creating all that is beautiful in the world. And if this is true, then it is responsible for all that is ugly too. And I’m sure we can all agree, a divine entity is inclined to love all its creations. So, let’s be like the divine. Let’s love ugly.

These concepts of ugliness, beautiful struggle, the truth and the facade combine to create the theme of my debut novel, Chizawa Bay, As Ugly As I Am. The story is set in rural Japan with a cast of quirky townsfolk and through them, I hope to reveal a little bit more about what is truly beautiful in a seemingly ugly life.

*I draw a lot of inspiration from the musical stylings of the band Atmosphere and the title of this post references their 2002 album God Loves Ugly.

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Japan Forward Interview

I was recently interviewed by Jason Morgan of Japan Forward and discussed a bit of my background, life in Japan, the performing arts and my new novel, Chizawa Bay.

If you’re curious to learn more about me and some of my influences please check out the interview.

The full interview is available on Japan-Forward.com:

Films, Novels, Plays: A Creative American Reflects on Life, and Art, in Japan

Cheers,

Shawn

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Guest Post, “New Novel! Chizawa Bay”

Nagoya Players is thrilled to announce a new novel by our Creative Director Shawn Mahler, Chizawa Bay, As Ugly As I Am.

The novel is a humorous collection of stories involving the fisherfolk and farmers from the small, fictional, seaside community of Chizawa. All these stories come together to paint a messy but beautiful portrait of life in rural Japan.

Shawn has spent the past 15 years traveling Japan, collecting these various tales and interviewing hundreds of quirky and intriguing people. He has turned several of these adventures into short movies, plays, and now a novel.

It’s a fast and fun read. There is a lot of clever wordplay and the characters reveal intriguing details about the inner feelings and thoughts held within Japanese society. It’s a great read for fans of Japanese culture, philosophy and psychology.

Chizawa Bay is available now for pre-order on Amazon.com, in both ebook and paperback.

Please join us in congratulating Shawn on his debut novel!

— Nagoya Players

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‘No Pianos, Pets or Foreigners!’ Book Review

For many expats in Japan the 1980s is somewhat of a mythical time. Tales are told of the explosion in wealth and the wacky degeneracy that led to the “bubble” and the ensuing crash that created the “lost decade”. It’s rare to find anything substantive written on a personal level from an expat during those times.

Joe Palermo’s No Pianos, Pets or Foreigners!: My Life in Japan in the 80’s offers many firsthand accounts of what life was like back then. And what surprised me most was that it’s not entirely different from what life for an expat in Japan is like now.

The book’s opening immediately captivated me. His arrival in Japan in 1982 mirrored almost exactly my own in 2005. He witnessed a young woman being harassed by a shady character, a crowd surrounding them and no chivalrous young men stepping up to offer assistance. It takes a long time to understand why things like that occur in Japan. There are reasons for them and Joe’s personal recountings shed a lot of light on the many odd interactions one can experience here.

No Pianos, Pets, or Foreigners! reads almost like a diary. Joe retells his encounters in clear detail and shares his inner thoughts and feelings about what was happening. I believe this was the element I enjoyed most. With the advantages of time, distance and perspective Joe deciphers many of his confusing experiences and presents them to the reader in a rational way. He touches on everything from the mundane, such as train-etiquette, to the emotional with a discussion on suicide. We hop around from one experience to the next, all the while gaining insightful commentary on Japanese society. When read from beginning to end No Pianos, Pets, or Foreigners reveals several nuances of Japanese culture and why for those who have experienced it, fall in love.

I’m not a professional book reviewer, so I don’t have a ‘star’/rating system in place. But I do want to give No Pianos, Pets, or Foreigners a strong recommendation. It’s an especially good book for anyone interested in living and working here.

No Pianos, Pets, or Foreigners is available on Amazon.com in e-book, paperback and audiobook.

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‘Chizawa Bay’ Sample Pages

I’ve received a number of requests for samples of Chizawa Bay. Thank you to everyone for your interest in my novel, it is truly humbling.

Sample pages will eventually be added to Amazon’s ‘Look Inside’ feature, however, that may take a little while. So until then, the easiest way for me to distribute samples is through my Newsletter. All you have to do is sign up and you’ll receive a link to download a sample e-book of Chizawa Bay.

Shawn Mahler’s Newsletter

http://eepurl.com/hgyqy9

We’re creeping closer and closer to publication. Can’t wait to finally get the full version out to the public.

Cheers,

Shawn

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‘Chizawa Bay’ available for Pre-Order

I’m very happy to announce that Chizawa Bay, As Ugly As I Am is now available for Pre-Order on Amazon.com.

The journey this novel has taken me on has been an emotional rollercoaster, but at the same time a very worthwhile ride. I wish I had documented things better, yet if I recall correctly the story was first conceived around 2013. Research involved 2~3 years of interviews, technical study and observation. The writing process was both fun and tortuous and that took a little more than a year to complete. This past year has been spent sending it off to agents and publishers and navigating those rocky waters. It’s been edited and re-edited and still I comb through every sentence making it the best it can be. And now, it is finally time. 

Chizawa Bay will be published Nov. 24th 2020 in e-book and paperback. The book will be available exclusively on Amazon during its launch.

Chizawa Bay is a novel that has taught me a great deal about life, philosophy, psychology and most of all the art of writing. The story may not be for everyone. It’s off-color and blunt in certain moments, but it is pure and honest in its telling. It’s a story where the ugly and the beautiful entwine and hopefully leaves you feeling inspired.

If you’re a Japanophile or just curious about the everyday culture there’s a lot to be gleaned from this novel. It’s a fun and easy read. I really hope you enjoy it.

— Shawn Mahler

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