Literature

An occasional blog on beautiful and wise books, book writing,

book translation, and the reading experience.

Why are Japanese male writers such ridiculous oddballs?

When I need to take a break from doing what I love, which is translating Polish classics (books I grew up loving and keep re-reading), I...

Reading Between the Lines

A SUMMER OF THE FOREST FOLK: READING BETWEENTHE LINES I have been reading this book, on and off, for 50 years—sometimes cover to cover,...

Kajin no Kigu: changing the language changes the mind

Tim Harper's Underground Asia: Global Revolutionaries and the Assault on Empire contains lots of fascinating forgotten stories which can...

The hell hole which was Bankipur

Here is a river shot from today's Bankipur. It reminds me of the black-and-white shot of a crumbling peasant shack in Urga: how pitiful...