Sara Backer's Blog, page 17

Live in Seattle

I'm blogging live at Seatac Airport before my flight is called. I stopped in at the airport Borders Book Store and saw copies of American Fuji on the shelf. So, that called for an unplanned signing! I autographed about 20 copies. I don't often get to the West Coast, so if you want signed copies of American Fuji, call the Borders at Seatac (206-444-4414)--you don't have to go through airport security; they'll get the book out to you. Time to shut down my computer and get in the boarding l...

Off to Seattle

I'll be in Alex Thorne's home town this week--a family visit, but I hope to see the woodblock print exhibit while I'm there. When I return, I'll hold the drawing for the lucky winner of a signed copy of American Fuji. So, get your entries in this week! See the May 15 blog post for details.

Pink Peonies for Gaby

Here are pink peonies from my garden this week in honor of the ones Alex sent to Gaby for putting up with him as her o-nimotsu (luggage, or obligation guest).

Just because Japanese take obligations seriously doesn't mean they enjoy them any more than Americans do. What Americans often don't realize is how much help they need from Japanese people to negotiate Japan, and the extent of time so many sacrifice to assist guests in their country.

Enter to win a signed copy of American Fuji in the...

My Favorite Fan

In American Fuji, Gaby Stanton carried a fan in her purse all the time. The purple one she used at the race track (Chapter 21) was a temple souvenir, a fan I also owned but which has since disappeared. I still have my favorite fan (pictured) which is made of sandalwood. This was a gift from a good friend who also taught me how to wear a thin hand towel discreetly around my neck in sweltering Japanese summers ( p.229).

Enter to win a signed copy of American Fuji in the June Giveaway!

After Dark

The semester has choked out its last death throes and, during our record-breaking heat wave, I hunkered down in the basement with Haruki Murakami's novel After Dark. A friend of mine finds Murakami's novels "tiring" and I can agree with that, but this one is short and highly readable. I like it because it inhabits the same Japan I knew (and put in American Fuji): a world of Denny's, Skylarks, love hotels, and parks with sections for stray cats. While some may accuse the plot of being coi...

Book Giveaway!

I apologize for my scant blogging this month. It's final exam week, what I call the "spin cycle" of the semester (picture a vibrating washing machine, lopsided loads, bits of plaster dropping from the ceiling . . .), and I have been 100% teacher/0% writer. To make up for this to my fans, and to celebrate the month of May (in which I was born), I'm giving away a signed copy of American Fuji.

Email me your name and U.S. address (one entry per household) with AMERICAN FUJI GIVEAWAY in your s...

Sakura New England

My own cherry tree in bloom. If I were in Japan, businessmen would be drinking beer and sake on blankets beneath it with a karaoke machine blaring. I just finished reading "A Blanket of Cherry Blossom" from The Walking Man by graphic writer Jiro Taniguchi. The Japan he draws is the Japan I knew--his streets could have been Shizuoka City. I'm so impressed by the depth of this short episode, and how much Taniguchi conveys through point of view and the gesture of the man putting his hand on ...

University Snakes

This paragraph in American Fuji was taken straight from my life, describing my climb up the hillside of the university campus:

"As [Alex and Michael:] ascended the hill, the buildings were fewer and the steps got narrower, until they could no longer walk side by side. Alex hiked behind Michael up a path shaded by cherry trees full of whirring insects. Smashed cherries and pits underfoot forced him to keep his eyes on the ground. A brown snake slithered off the path into wild grass." (p. 67)

I...

Smack Kibble

I'm sure kittens get addicted to this Japanese cat food brand!

Looking back at these old Shizuoka photos, I notice other things, now. Like how tall I am in relation to the ceiling. In the U. S., we're used to supermarkets with high ceilings. In Japan, a ceiling is typically 8 feet from the floor, but this one was about 7 feet, the minimum building code requirement, I believe. No problem getting items off the top shelves!

Sculpture in Hakone

If you only know Japan through books and film, it's easy to get the impression that Japan is one solid city, or that all the art is traditional. This sculpture in the city of Hakone (on the coast in Shizuoka Prefecture) provides evidence of modern art. What do you think this sculpture expresses?