Writers in Kyoto, Words & Music Bōnenkai, Dec. 10th
Report by Mark Willis
Pulling open the door to Irish Pub Gnome at six o’clock on December 10th, I found the basement pub already filled with writers, readers, singers, and listeners gathered for the Writers in Kyoto Words & Music bōnenkai.
I left my daypack on an empty chair, and joined the line at the bar, studying the food and drink menu, while those ahead of me placed their orders for Guinness and shepherd’s pie, red wine and vegetable gratin.
At six-thirty, Kirsty Kawano, the event’s organizer and MC, welcomed a packed house and introduced the first presenter, John Dougill.
John read a section from his recently published book, Off the Beaten Tracks in Japan. He recounted his early days in Kanazawa, and when he described his early missteps with Japanese language and culture, some of us recalled our own first stumbles in the country.
One of two presenters in the evening who chose music over words, Yasuo Nagai sang a cappella an original song of his about the power which memories have on us — those memories that haunt and hold us.
From They Never Knew, Mike Freiling read senryū written in 1942 by Japanese Americans who were being held in a detention center in Portland, Oregon, awaiting transfer to permanent camps. Depicting the anxiety the writers felt, the poems also were occasionally humorous.
Having chosen to stay in Kyoto when international borders closed due to the pandemic, Daniel Sofer told us how he began to take photos of the tourist-free city which were then compiled in Empty Kyoto. He shared text and photos from his book.
On the Irish pub’s upright piano, Malcolm Ledger played a piece he had recently composed and which was warmly received and applauded. He invited the audience to take a look at his YouTube channel for more of his music.
During the break, WiK members lined up at the bar to order another glass of red wine or pint of Guinness, and mingled, catching up with friends and making new ones until Kirsty announced the start of the second set.
James Woodham traveled from Shiga to join the bōnenkai, and he read poems inspired by a wide range of topics, from reading Sylvia Plath to a late night out in Kyoto to drones. His advice to us was to “empty the mind and write down what comes out.
Ken Rogers’s reading about taking part in Wesak at Kurama-dera was a preview of a piece written for Kyoto Journal 107 (Fire & Kyoto), which will be published in the spring of 2024, in print. Before that, however, a digital issue on cultural transformations, KJ 106, will be created.
Mayumi Kawaharada read in English, her haiku adorned with awe-inspiring natural imagery — “rain’s golden strings” and “bell cricket chorus.” My personal favorite (and this is a guess at the line breaks) was — “Two vapor trails glow / in the clear blue sky / New Year’s.”
Playing cajón and soprano saxophone, Ted Taylor and Gary Tegler performed jazz improvisations built on the seasonal song “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Ted also read from his writings about how he’d come to Japan following in the fictional footsteps of the character Japhy Ryder in Dharma Bums.
Although the microphone was offered to anyone else wanting to read or sing, no one took the offer, and instead tabs were settled, contact info exchanged, and promises made to read or sing at the next Words & Music event, and I left the pub to make my way home through the December night.
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A round of applause goes to Kirsty Kawano for organizing the event and ensuring that it ran smoothly. Also thanks to the owners of Irish Pub Gnome, Yuko and Tatsuya Shirasaka, and to their serving staff, including Joseph Wright. And a special thanks goes to those WiK members who volunteered to share with us their words and music.
Excerpts from the following books were read at December’s Words & Music:
John Dougill, Off the Beaten Tracks in Japan: A Journey by Train from Hokkaido to Kyushu
Mike Freiling, They Never Knew: Senryu Poetry from the WWII Portland Assembly Center
Daniel Sofer, Empty Kyoto
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