The Reed Cutter & Captain Shigemoto's Mother

Jun'ichirō Tanizaki (July 24, 1886–July 30, 1965) was a master at burrowing right down into the heart of human relationships while describing them with precision and clarity. English translations by Anthony H. Chambers of his short story "The Reed Cutter" (蘆刈, or "Ashikari" in Japanese) and Captain Shigemoto's Mother (少将滋幹の母, or Shōshō Shigemoto no haha), published in 1932 and 1949, respectively, appear in this book which came out in 1993. The narrators for both quote from a number of old poems and other stories. Among the main themes is the transience of life, including our endeavors made out of love and for family, and the consequences of our actions over generations.

I enjoyed reading both, perhaps "The Reed Cutter" more. In Captain Shigemoto's Mother, the narrator digressed too often, which was intentional but made the narration hard to follow at times. What's best about the stories is the imagery, particularly the descriptions of nature and autumn in the first half of "The Reed Cutter" and those of death and rot towards the end of Captain Shigemoto's Mother. Remarkable writing from one of Japan's most revered literary figures.

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

An epistolary novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (2019) by Vietnamese-American author and poet Ocean Vuong is one of those rare and courageous feats of modern literature. Consistently compelling, with acute imagery and a dreamlike flow, the story unfolds through Little Dog's letter to his mother, Rose, who's struggled with PTSD and an abusive husband and has fled Vietnam with her son, who she in turn also abuses. Along with grandma Lan, the three have moved from a refugee camp in the Philippines to public housing in Connecticut. Lan's health is failing and her dementia is exasperated by violent memories of war. Rose works at a nail salon and struggles with English and a culture not her own. Meanwhile, Little Dog, gay and Vietnamese in a society bent on spurning him, meets Trevor. The two are working on a tobacco farm for the summer and the boys pair up for a somewhat jagged and at times self-loathing relationship. The final part of the novel (the last of three), and most poetic, is made up of Little Dog's reflections on and interpretations of his past and the connections between these elements that have made him who he is now. And presuming that the novel mirrors the life of Ocean Vuong, then what he is is an exceptionally talented writer and storyteller.

I'm not telling you a story so much as a shipwreck—the pieces floating, finally legible.

—Ocean Vuong

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

Bad Elements

Bad Elements by Ian Buruma was published in 2001 so, considering how dramatically China has grown over the past couple decades, I almost gave the book a pass. I'm glad I didn't. While China has grown, and many changes have come with this growth, it has yet to undergo the transformation expected or hoped for by countless many, especially in the areas of human rights, freedom of speech, and transition to some form of workable democracy. Bad Elements is therefore relevant to the present but obviously without reference to very recent events. Another reason to read it is for Buruma's remarkable clarity of thought and smooth writing, and so whatever in it might be less relevant is still a brilliant read. It also brought me back to a late 90s feel, when the whole world knew China was on the cusp of monumental change but unsure as to what exactly that change would mean.

For Bad Elements Buruma sat down (often with food, and reminiscent of Anthony Bourdain's interview style) with Chinese dissidents to hear their stories (some quite violent and harrowing, and heroic) and views on the past, present and future of China as well as Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Tibet. Throughout the book he revisits the Tiananmen Square demonstration in 1989 as a sort of modern-day focal point for activism and opposition. He starts off his interviews in the U.S. (farthest from Beijing) and then makes his way towards the political center or core of control over the "Chinese people" with stops to chat with others of Chinese birth or descent living in regions or countries outside of greater China. Parts are frustrating, for us and Buruma too, as he tries to track down answers in a miasma of lies and delusion and indoctrination and the systemic belief that China is way too old and too big and too complicated for any outsider to ever properly understand. He also takes a look at the interesting link between Christianity and Chinese dissidents as well as parallels between religion and democracy. Overall a really interesting, still relevant book by an author I've for too long read only his books on Japan.