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2008-2009 JWC

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Saturday Oct 17, 2009  

Room 1  
10:00   Holly Thompson   Writing for Children: The Picture Book  
Summary: This session will cover the basics of writing picture books—poetry, nonfiction and fiction, with an emphasis on fiction. Fiction topics will range from plotting, pacing and characterization to word count and structure. Examples and publishing advice will be shared, with particular attention paid to publishing picture books from Japan.  
Abstract: Many writers of fiction and nonfiction set out to write picture books thinking that they can approach the form in the same way that they approach an adult short story or article. But picture books have their own sets of rules. This session will cover the basics of picture book writing. Various genres of picture books will be discussed, including poetry, nonfiction and fiction, with an emphasis on fiction. Topics within fiction will range from plotting, pacing and characterization to word count and structure. Examples will be presented and advice for selling your stories in today’s publishing climate will be offered. Particular attention will be given to marketing picture books created in Japan to publishers abroad. Common mistakes made by newcomers to picture book writing will be shared, and helpful resources will be suggested. A Q&A session will follow the presenter’s talk.  

Bio: Holly Thompson earned her M.A. in fiction writing from N.Y.U. She teaches creative writing at Yokohama City University. Author of the novel Ash (Stone Bridge Press) and the picture book The Wakame Gatherers (Shen’s Books), she is Regional Advisor of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrator, Tokyo. www.hatbooks.com.  

11:00 Hillel Wright   The Author Interview (short lecture + Q & A)
Summary: I will present some rules of thumb for conducting successful author interviews. This will include information on both the technical aspects (recording device) and interviewing tactics & strategies.  
Abstract:   I will give a general lecture on how to arrange for an interview, how to find a publisher/broadcaster, equipment, ways to begin and end the interview, format for asking questions, types of questions to ask and not to ask, follow-up of live interview by phone and/or e-mail, photos and other relevant information. I will refer to author interviews I have done, including my 1985 interview with Nobel Prize nominee & American poet Allen Ginsberg and my 2009 interview with best-selling suspense-action novelist Barry Eisler. Attendees will be provided with some examples of the transcriptions and some audio clips. I will then take questions from the participants.

Bio:   Hillel Wright has been a radio producer at CFRO-FM Vancouver, a features writer, reviewer & columnist for several periodicals, including Tokyo Metropolis, Eye/Ai Magazine; The Japan Times, The Daily Yomiuri, The Pacific Rim Review of Books, The Tokyo Advocate, The Japan Foundation Newsletter, and others. He is author of two books of poetry, two novels, a collection of short stories and the editor of four literary anthologies.  

12:00 Lunch  

13:00   LI, Jiang   The ABCs of Literary Awards in Japan and the UK (short lecture with Q&A)
Summary: This presentation aims to provide an overview of literary prizes in Japan and in the UK: what types there are, what contestants and the general public expect of them, how they are different in the two countries, and which ones are tailored for writers who write about Asia in English.  
Abstract: Literary prizes come in all shapes and sizes, and winning or not winning one does not say as much about the literary value of our works as many would believe or would have us believe. However, literary prizes are probably part and parcel of a writer's life: in a way, they are fuel for the sort of literary gossip about which a writer would feel guilty not to be in the know. More importantly, they do often provide winning novels/stories/poems which a writer can learn a lot from. Drawing on my own recent experience of winning a modest literary prize in Japanese, I would like to talk about literary prizes (mostly for fiction) in Japan and in the UK, focussing on which prizes are for which genres, how writers in the two countries approach literary prizes differently, and which ones are speicially designed for books about Asia which have been either written in English or translated into English.  

Bio:  Li Jiang, originally from Beijing, China, received her BA (Honours) and MA degrees in English literature from the University of Tokyo, Japan, and her PhD degree in English literature from the University of Nottingham, UK. She currently teaches at Meiji University as a lecturer of English.  

14:00   Jane Singer   An Editor’s Perspective on Commercial Media Writing in Japan (short lecture with Q&A)
Summary: I will draw on considerable editorial and writing experience to provide suggestions and information on the English-language commercial writing market in Japan, how to interest editors in your story ideas, and how to ensure that you and your manuscripts behave and are treated professionally.   
Abstract Writers may conceive and give birth to articles and stories, but they are fostered and achieve their potential under the custody of editors, who may have very different parenting ideas. I plan to draw on years of experience as a magazine editor and book copyeditor to provide writers and would-be writers for commercial newspapers and magazines with information on producing professional-quality articles, cultivating editors and forging positive relationships that lead to writing careers. The session will cover the following topics: a brief survey of English-language commercial media in Japan, choosing article themes and content, networking and forging a reputation, writing query letters, schedules and deadlines, the editing process, style and formatting, managing the relationship with editors, writing suggestions (ledes, interviews, facts and research), fact-checking and accuracy, visual considerations. The session will include time for Q&A.  

Bio: American Jane Singer has been an editor for several domestic commercial magazines and today contributes articles to Asahi Shimbun publications, Kansai Time Out, Salon and other media. She has a graduate degree in International Affairs from Columbia University and is currently a full-time faculty member at Ritsumeikan University.  

15:00   David Cozy   Writing About the Arts: As Print Media Wither, Whither Criticism? (short lecture with Q&A)
Summary: In this presentation David will explore the following questions: What does the withering away of print media mean for aspiring and established critics? Is the Internet friend or foe? How can aspiring critics get started, and what, once started, must critics do to be good? Can a critic make money?    
Abstract: Newspapers and magazines have long been the primary venues for non-academic writing about the arts. Now, in Japan as elsewhere, these venues are withering, if not dying altogether. In the coming years there will, it is clear, be fewer print venues, and fewer paying venues, open to writers who persist in believing that books and art are worthy of close and careful consideration.   What, then, are critics, aspiring and established, to do? In this presentation I hope to discuss how one gets started as a critic, and what one must do to be a good one. I also intend to explore the fact that lion’s share of criticism—from the dreadful to the sublime— is now published on-line and what that means for working writers. Finally, I would like to consider the importance of being paid for one’s work, and the unlikelihood that, as a critic, one will be.    

Bio: David Cozy’s criticism appears regularly in The Japan Times and occasionally in Harper’s, The Review of Contemporary Fiction, The Threepenny Review, Kyoto Journal, and elsewhere. He has also published fiction, most recently in the on-line journal elimae. David is an associate professor at Showa Women’s University and blogs at: http://onlyablockhead.vox.com/.  

16:00   ARUDOU Debito   "Essaywriting: How I get something out quickly, concisely, and with panache"   (short lecture with Q&A)
Summary: Want to write essays but suffer from "Writer's Block"? No joy in writing exposition? Come listen to Arudou Debito, an essayist who writes a couple hundred per year, give some tips on how to become prolific.  
Abstract: I've heard people say writing expository essays is a drag. Like the childhood injections that put us off needles for a lifetime, the first book reports for English class were likewise for many off-putting. I will describe how I overcome that, to the point of becoming prolific. It's not rocket science, but getting over a few bad habits will make your writing fun, not drudgery -- because if you're having fun writing, your reader will more likely have fun reading. This talk is geared towards more elementary-level nonfiction writers who experience "Writers' Block" (I never do), but the seasoned writer is welcome to attend and share strategies as well.  

Bio: ARUDOU Debito, 44, is a Japan Times columnist and an author of several books. He maintains a daily blog on life in Japan and human rights issues at www.debito.org. He cannot imagine a day without writing something.  

Room 2  

10:00   Eric Luong   Translating Japanese Art: Challenges and Opportunities   (short lecture with Q&A)
Summary: This presentation will focus on the English translation of traditional Japanese art-related documents and the challenges and opportunities it presents. I will examine issues of usage, interpretation and target audience.  
Abstract   Translating literature related to Japanese art presents unique challenges. Not only are there issues of origin, as in the case of Buddhist deities, for example, but the presentation of traditional Japanese art has been up to now targeted at a specific audience, namely one that is educated and Japanese. Since the language used to describe art, and at times the exhibition title itself, can be difficult to read, an English translation may be helpful not only to English readers but also to some native Japanese. Seen in this light, English translation in the art field can be invaluable tool to reach new audiences, both domestic and international.  

Bio: Eric Luong is a full-time lecturer at the Kyoto University of Art and Design, teaching English, specialized art English, and comparative culture. Originally from Toronto, Canada, he works as a translator for the Hosomi Museum in Kyoto, as well as as free-lance, specializing in Japanese art history.  

11:00   John Rippey   Translating Poetry from Japanese into English (brief lecture followed by a translating activity then sharing)
Summary: Translating can be as fulfilling as doing one’s own writing. Translation aims to convey the spirit of an original into a new creation. In this endeavor, instincts play an important role, as does a grounded, thorough appreciation of the language and conventions of the original. In this presentation, we consider these concerns in the context of a poem by Hagiwara Sakutaro.  
Abstract:   Gaps between languages can be, as with the case of English and Japanese, significant. In dealing with the challenges in translating, intuition and careful consideration can reinforce one another. After a brief review touching on language differences, we consider one approach to translating poetry from Japanese to English. The process takes into account sound quality, orthography, and formality, in addition to image and content. We then try a translation task, generating English versions of a brief poem by the early twentieth century poet Hagiwara Sakutaro, considered to be the father of modern Japanese poetry, following which we share and consider our productions and the experience of translation. Participation in the presentation requires no Japanese ability.     

Bio: John Rippey teaches at St. Margaret’s Junior College in Tokyo. He received a BA in American History and Literature atHarvardCollege (1984), an MFA through New England College (2005), and is currently working toward a doctorate in creative writing through LancasterUniversity.  

12:00 Lunch  

13:00   Juliet Winters Carpenter   Title Team Translating Historical Fiction: Shiba Ryotaro’s Saka no ue no kumo [Clouds Above the Hill]   (short lecture with Q & A)
Summary   In this talk I will discuss Shiba, his epic work on the Russo-Japanese war that I and two other translators are now working on, and issues that have arisen so far having to do with both the text itself and the involvement of multiple translators.  
Abstract Shiba Ryotaro is one of the most beloved of modern Japanese authors, yet very few of his works have been translated so far. Reasons include their daunting length as well as matters of perspective, background, and structure, and editorial restrictions imposed by the Shiba Foundation. Currently a team of three translators (myself, Paul McCarthy, and Andrew Cobbing), one editor (Phyllis Birnbaum), an advisor (Mr. Takechi) and publisher (Sumio Saito) are working to translate all eight volumes of Saka no ue no kumo (Working title: Clouds above the Hill) in the next three years. I will explain why we have taken it up, and touch on some of the issues involved in such a project, including establishing unity of voice, dealing with Shiba’s translations of original English materials, etc. I will also examine problems common to all translations, such as “What goes, what stays, what is added on?”  

Bio:  Longtime Kansai resident Juliet Winters Carpenter began studying Japanese at age 16 and is still working on it. She has published over 50 translations and authored two books. A professor at Doshisha Women’s College, she divides her time between Kyoto, Ikoma, and Washington State.  

14:00   Michael Pronko   Writing Japan: creative nonfiction essays (short lecture with Q&A)
Summary: I will talk about ways of responding to the experience of Japanese life and culture through creative essay writing. I will present ways of using and reconsidering the essay form as personal response, meditation and search for meaning in Japan.  
Abstract: This talk will consider the essay as a unique way of thoughtfully exploring and articulating the experience of living in Japan. From both a practical and philosophical perspective, essays help see, conceive and contemplate the meanings of life here. I will talk about my process ofwriting essays, from a large and small perspective, as well as the limitations of the form and how essays overlap with narrative and poetic writing. I will also talk about the role of the foreign writer in Japan, in particular the tricky issues of tone, point of view, voice and humor, as well as audience. I will draw examples from the essays I have written on three areas: Japanese jazz (for numerous publications and my own website); Tokyo life (for Newsweek Japan and the 2006 book); and the relation of Japanese to the English language (for the 2009 book and related website).  

Bio: Michael Pronko has lived in Tokyo for twelve years and teaches American Literature at Meiji Gakuin University. His seminars focus on contemporary American literature, with other courses on American film, documentaries, art and music. Another book collection of Tokyo essays will come out this September.  

15:00  Judy Halebsky, Ayumu Akutsu, & Yuka Tsukagoshi,  Eki Mae: Poems for Places Large and Small (poetry reading with Q&A)Summary: Tokyo Poets Judy Halebsky and Yuka Tsukagoshi share their work in a bilingual presentation.  
Abstract: Judy Halebsky and Yuka Tsukagoshi will present a poetry reading in both Japanese and English. Yuka will read poems from her recent collection "When Clouds Look Like Scrambled Eggs" (Tokyo: Shichou Press, 2008)and Judy will read from "Sky=Empty" (Michigan: New Issues Poetry and Prose, forthcoming). Yuka will read in Japanese and Judy will read translations of her poems.  Then Judy will read in English and Yuka will read translations of those poems. Handouts with parallel translations of the poems will be distributed. This presentation will be the launch of the bilingual poetry journal, Eki Mae.  The reading will be followed by a discussion of the writing process and issues of contemporary poetry in a global context.  

Bios: Judy Halebsky studies Japanese literature at Hosei University on a MEXT scholarship.  Her poems have been published in Runes, Five Fingers Review and Eleven Eleven. Residencies at the MacDowell Colony and the Millay Colony have supported her work.  Her manuscript Sky=Empty won the 2009 New Issues Poetry Prize and is forthcoming from New Issues Poetry & Prose.  

Yuka Tsukagoshi writes both poetry and fiction. She has a degree in English from Dokkyo University and studied literature and creative writing at SUNY New Paltz. In 2008, Shichou press published her book, When Clouds Look Like Scramble Eggs, which was nominated for the 59 Mr.H prize. Her work was also included in the Anthology“310 Poets on Air Raids" from Coal Sack Press in 2009. She is a member of Gunma Poetry Circle and the World Haiku Association. Originally from Maebashi city in Gunma prefecture, she now lives in Tokyo. She gives readings of her work at Tokyo venues and often works collaboratively with visual artists in gallery shows and live performances.  

Ayumu Akutsu graduated from Waseda University.  Her first book, Even Though the World Would Let You Die was published in 2007 by Coal Sack Press.  She has also published her poems in two Coal Sack Press Anthologies Poems in Regional Dialects by 276 Poets and Poems on Air Raids by 310 Poets.  Originally from Tokyo, she lives in Saitama and works as an illustrator and book designer. She is a contributing editor and the designer for the journal Eki Mae.

16:00   Philip Rowland and Jane Joritz-Nakagawa (poetry reading and discussion)
Summary: Jane and Philip will read poetry selections and engage the audience in a discussion.
Abstract: In "Poetry and Pedagogy", Retallack and Spahr writes that, in the context of a poem: "Any 'I' from whom one has something to learn must be in conversation with an unsettling melange of 'others.'" Philip and Jane will read and discuss with the participants selections of their poetry. A theme will be the concept of collaboration in various guises: with the reader; with another poet or poets; the use of found texts and the incorporation of non-linguistic features in poems; the inclusion of diverse points of view in a poem; and poetry as a form of thought, feeling and dialogue across artistic genres, disciplines, cultural and geographic boundaries.

Bios: Jane Joritz-Nakagawa's books of poetry are: Skin Museum, 2006; Aquiline, 2007; EXHIBIT C, 2008; and The Meditations (forthcoming from Otoliths in September, 2009). She is currently writing her fifth book of poems. Her poems, essays, and interviews have appeared widely in international literary journals and anthologies in Japan, the U.S., the U.K., and Australia and online. She is an associate professor at Aichi University of Education where she teaches poetry, gender studies, pedagogy and other subjects.  Email is welcome at janenakagawa at yahoo dot com.

Bios: Philip Rowland is an associate professor at Tamagawa University in Tokyo. He also edits and publishes NO/ON: Journal of the Short Poem.  His most recent booklet of poems is someone one once ran away with (Longhouse, 2009). 

Room 3  

10:00     Brian Cullen & Sarah Mulvey   Exploring Three Approaches to Creative Writing: Norms, Skills, and Writer Characteristics  (workshop)
Summary: This workshop presents three ways to conceptualize writing: norms, skills, and writer characteristics. After a brief description of our work in the area of prose, poetry, and songwriting, the session will ask participants to use this framework to share their own beliefs about writing.  
Abstract   In this workshop, we will explore three different approaches to creative writing. The presenters will begin with a brief description of their work in the area of prose, poetry, and songwriting and outline three possible approaches to how this work may be conceptualized, evaluated, or taught. The first approach is a language-centered approach which considers the norms of the genre and how closely the writer adheres to them. Next is a skills-centered approach looking at the process of how the learner uses or acquires the skills necessary to write in that genre. The third approach focuses on the characteristics of the writer as a person – what kind of person is the writer when they are writing in a particular genre? Participants will follow a worksheet to identify their own beliefs about these three approaches and the session will be opened up to discussion.  

Bios:  Brian Cullen works at Nagoya Institute of Technology. He has worked extensively with L2 songwriters over the last six years.

Sarah Mulvey works at Nanzan University. She did a Masters in creative writing at the University of Lancaster and has been involved in several commercial writing projects.  

11:00   Robin Antepara   Essay, Dissertation, Book: The Evolution of an Idea Through Three Genres, Short lecture with Q & A
Summary: In this presentation I examine the evolution of a creative idea through three genres. Abstract: Writing workshops and seminars are often limited to a single literary genre. In this presentation I discuss how an idea evolved through three different genres and the cross-fertilization that resulted. I will also examine helpful writing strategies and organizational techniques that were used throughout the process.  

Bio: Robin Antepara, Ph.D., is the author of Aspects (Llewellyn, 2006). Her essays, feature stories and book reviews have appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines in North America, Japan, and Europe. She worked for many years as a journalist (for CBS News and the Philadelphia Inquirer in the U.S., and for several years at The Nikkei Weekly in Tokyo). She teaches journalism at Tsuda College and is currently working on a cross-cultural study of power in Japan and the United States.  

11:30-13:00 - Screening of THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS - a 94 minute documentary film of the KENNETH REXROTH CENTENARY at Beyond Baroque Poetry Center in Venice CA, 12/10/05.   With Introduction and Q&A.  In this 2008 edition of Lindsay Mofford's Hen House Studios film of the celebration of Rexroth's poetry, translations, essays,  criticism, and inspiration for the Beat Generation and Counter Culture, Gibson opened the program reading the beginning of his long elegiac I-THOU POEM FOR KENNETH REXROTH'S CENTENARY (published in JUNGLE CROWS), followed by readings by Rexroth's daughter Mary, widow Carol Tinker, and other poets with singers and jazz accompaniment.  

12:00 Lunch  

13:00 Morgan Gibson “The Signature of All Things” A celebration of Kenneth Rexroth. This important American poet, translator, and critic helped turn Western attention to Asian literature, especially Japanese and Chinese poetry. In the film, poet, critic, and essayist Morgan Gibson, a friend of Rexroth's for 20 years who authored the award-winning REVOLUTIONARY REXROTH: POET OF EAST-WEST WISDOM and the Twayne REXROTH, reads from his elegy for him that was published in the JUNGLE CROWS Tokyo anthology. He will then talk about Rexroth and answer questions. Please note that the film will screen before the presentation. 

Bio: Morgan Gibson has written and published poetry, critical and personal essays, stories, articles, and reviews since 1950. He has published two books on Kenneth Rexroth (one winning a CHOICE Outstanding Scholarly Book Award), two Buddhist books from White Pine Press, books of poetry and prose poetry, two short plays in DRAMATIKA, and much poetry and prose in periodicals. After graduating from the University of Chicago Laboratory School, he received a BA and awards for poetry and fiction from Oberlin College and an MA and PhD from the University of Iowa in creative writing and modern literature. He taught in colleges and universities in the USA and Japan, before retiring, and has given many readings and lectures in both countries. His work is collected in the Regenstein Library at the University of Chicago.  

14:00 Gabrielle Pope & Brie Wittman   Green Play—a workshop on Ecological Theatre for Young Audiences, Short lecture with craft workshop  
Summary: This symposium on Ecological Theatre for Young People focuses on how writers can incorporate environmental issues into writing for youth in order to promote local sustainability. We believe that purpose-driven theatre should empower and not patronize. Through our creative, participatory-based workshop, writers will learn innovative techniques to explore environmental issues.  
Abstract: Striving to address environmental issues in Young People’s Theatre is an emerging trend in contemporary children’s theatre. Worldwide, grassroots theatre companies focused on ‘ecological theatre’ are creatively working to see that children develop greater environmental awareness. In our home in Western Canada, we are passionately participating in the global efforts of both writers and theatre artists to evoke more didactic ecological themes without falling into “issue theatre”. In our contemporary frenetic world where children live fast paced lives, they rarely get a chance to even experience the natural world, let alone learn what they can do to sustain it. There are attempts in modern media to warn children of environmental degradation, however we believe that the tradition of theatre is the best vehicle to provide education in an organic and entertaining medium.  

Bios:   Gabrielle Pope’s plays have been produced in both British Columbia and Alberta in Canada. She also writes fiction and non-fiction, and has been published in Bap Quarterly and Locution. With a love for children, she has taught ‘Kid Yoga’, children’s drama and improv courses and puppetry workshops. She is working on a collection of short stories for her Masters thesis at the University of British Columbia.  

Brie Wittman is a writer, filmmaker and ecologist. She is passionate about collaborating with youth and has recently worked as a teacher and Children’s Literacy Advocate. Brie has received degrees in Creative Writing, Environmental Studies and Film Studies from the University of Victoria. She is currently working on a play exploring food security and a short film on nature-deficit disorder in children.  

15:00   John Gribble, Hodgepodge or Harmony: Building a book of poems. Short lecture with
Q & A
Summary: When putting together a collection, large or small, of poems (or short stories, or essays, or other disparate writings), a whole new set of issues comes up. This presentation will deal with organization strategies  and the choices which have to be made.   After we’ve written, polished and maybe published a fair number of poems (or stories or essays), it is only natural to want to make a book. But trying to assemble a collection can be a daunting task, even for experienced writers. The fact is, books are often compromises, attempts to reconcile conflicting demands and desires. Issues which often come up include length, what should be included or left out, whether or not there should there be sections, and whose opinions should be listened to. In this presentation various strategies for creating a collection will be presented and discussed. There will also be a close look at the structure of Mary Oliver’s American Primitive. While the main focus will be on poetry collections, the principles can apply to other genres as well.

16:00   Dwayne Lively   “A Note-able Madness: Inspiration and Junk”
A short reading with Q&A.  
Summary: The reading is an essay that explores the perils of looking for writing magic in writing-related objects rather than in the act of writing itself. It focuses on my indefensibly large collection of blank notebooks, why I acquired them, and why I write about them more in them.  
Abstract: The essay is split between a narrative that explores how writing inspiration, in the form of notebooks, has become a burden that spans three homes on two continents. The narrative is repeatedly interrupted by a list of different notebooks I've acquired over the years but in which I have never written. As the essay progresses it attempts to explore the necessity of destruction in writing, both of clean paper and of illusions. Unfortunately for the narrative, the list of notebooks keeps getting longer, more complicated and more intrusive. After the reading will be a question and answer/discussion session which will further explore the problem of inspiration, excuses and, possibly, the usefulness of reading books about writing.  

Bio: Dwayne Lively has been a writer, teacher and editor for the better part of 20 years and has worked and taught in Japan, the USA and Albania. In his dwindling free time he’s been finishing up a novel and, on occasion, writing the online journal The Crazy Japan Times (http://www.crazyjapan.com).  

Sunday, October 18  

Room 1  

10:00   Peter Marsh   It’s Not What They Say, It’s the Way that They Say It: Creating and developing your characters through dialogue.  
Short lecture with readings, followed by workshop.  
Summary:   How to give your characters life through their own utterances. We will analyse implausible, plausible and excellent dialogue. We will learn how to give a character a voice, and how to encapsulate in print the spontaneous and characteristic utterances of real people.  
Abstract Good dialogue is not only about being credible, but also about the development of setting and characters. Give each character a distinct “voice” – formed of dialect, idiom, lexicon and manner – to make speech tags redundant. Good dialogues illustrate how time, place, age, class, relationship and motivation can be depicted in a few words; bad dialogues show that otherwise competent writers either had wooden ears or didn’t consider “voice” important. Improve your dialogue. Be a pedantic listener. Keep a notebook. Get the rhythm of speech. Become a mimic. Run your dialogues with someone you know, in your mind or for real. Find the mean between verbatim transcription (incomprehensible) and grammatical reconstruction (implausible). Use punctuation to supply timing and rhythm. A “game” in which short dialogues are rewritten, preserving meaning but changing setting or characterization – say the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet between a Shibuya girl and a retired colonel. 8. Personal and professional biography (50 words or less)  

Bio: Born in the UK, Peter Marsh worked first as a handyman, and drifted from that into science teaching: in the West Indies for six years, and at an International School in Japan for twelve. He took a two-year sabbatical to complete his Caribbean novel, and several short stories. He continue to write short stories and satirical verse.  

11:00   Scott T. (S.T.) Wellman    To Get the Picture:  How Many Words Are Enough in Making the Reader See  
Short lecture with free give and take of experiences and suggestions  
Summary:  "To Get the Picture" will address a fundamental issue of fiction writing, viz. to what length must a writer go in describing scenes and characters in order to plant the necessary image in the mind of the reader without  1) putting off readers with unwanted amplitude and  artistry, or 2) failing to prompt readers` imagination by meager or vaporous references.   Abstract:  In the writing and revision of fiction the author feels an obligation to present scenes and characters with a certain amount of description in order to allow the reader to gain some kind of picture in reconstructing a story in the imagination.  However, the author must be wary of putting off the reader with descriptions either of a fulsome nature that risks loss of attention, or of a neglectful kind that leaves the reader without the necessary markers to navigate the plot.  Although this is sometimes purely a matter of taste, there is usually some kind of consensus that will form in praise either of artistic flare or economical evocation.  The point of this presentation is to examine examples from past masters (contrasting Crane and Hemingway say or Updike and Thomas Berger, Nabokov and Naipaul)  and see what has worked and why.  In addition, the presenter will speak of his own experiences and the challenge of getting the picture just right.  

Bio: Scott T. (S.T.) Wellman:  His publications include three books of poetry and two novels: The Big Concealment (poems, 1996); The Mirror Stone (novel, 1997); Borne Away (poems, 1999); The Treasure of the Esmeraldas (novel, 2003); andRecollecting an Original Face (poems, 2005).  He is currently at work on two novels:  The Sea of Unknowing (completed); and Axis Mundi (nearing completion); and a new book of poems:  Many Rivers to Cross.

13:00   Holly Thompson   Tackling Novel Revision: Techniques and Tips  
Summary: Your novel’s first draft is done; now to revise. But how to create order from chaos? How to keep the big picture in mind while focusing on details? How to keep track of story elements and deepen themes? Come discover helpful techniques and practical approaches to tackling novel revision.   Abstract: The first draft of your novel is done; now to revise. But how? What methods will be most effective for you? How do authors create order from first draft chaos? How can you keep the big picture in mind while tackling the details and the problems presented in each particular chapter? How can you keep track of all the various essential story elements while attempting to deepen the overarching theme? How can you assess character development? How can you monitor the pace of the story and check overall structure? Come to this session to discover helpful tips for tackling novel revision. Charting, flagging and color-coding techniques will be demonstrated and various exercises will be introduced. Helpful resources and will be shared.  

Bio: Holly Thompson earned her M.A. in fiction writing from N.Y.U. She teaches creative writing at Yokohama City University. Author of the novel Ash (Stone Bridge Press) and the picture book The Wakame Gatherers (Shen’s Books), she is Regional Advisor of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrator, Tokyo. www.hatbooks.com.  

14:00   Vikas Swarup "Q & A into Slumdog Millionaire”
Summary: I will do a presentation on my novel Q&A, its adaptation into Slumdog Millionaire and take questions from the audience.

15:00   James Cusick   Title: Writing for Science and Engineering  
Short lecture with Q&A   summary   A description of the types of technical writing supporting scientific and engineering publications. Presentation of the motivation and purpose of technical publishing, the source of inspiration, content, and common formats. Special emphasis will be placed on the style of technical writing as well as the community of engineering writers and how the build on each other’s work.  
Abstract   Science and engineering develop based on the emergence, dispersal, and confirmation of ideas and the experimental confirmation of those ideas. Throughout the history of Science major works have been published that essentially changed the understanding of humankind’s place in the cosmos including the works of Aristotle, Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton. Today more Scientists are currently alive and researching than all the Scientists that every lived in prior generations. Their work must be written down and communicated within the technical community and to the population at large. This presentation will describe the types of technical writing supporting scientific and engineering publications. A presentation of the motivation and purpose of technical publishing, the source of inspiration, content, and common formats will be provided. Special emphasis will be placed on the style of technical writing as well as the community of engineering writers and how the build on each other’s work.  
Bio:  James Cusick is Director of IT with Wolters Kluwer’s Corporate Legal Services Division. Previously, James worked for Dell Professional Services, Lucent’s Bell Laboratories, and AT&T Labs. James has authored more than 40 papers and talks on Software Engineering and was an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University’s Department of Computer Science. James holds degrees from the University of California and Columbia University and is a PMP.  

Room 2  

10:00   Bern Mulvey   TITLE Surviving on the high-wire: How to write poems for journal publication yet remain true to your own voice   Lecture with Q&A.  
SUMMARY:   Are you a poet struggling to get your work published, particularly in the major (including paying) venues? Finding yourself increasingly frustrated by the process? This presentation discusses manuscript evaluation from an editor's perspective, focusing particularly on the often minor adjustments that can help your poems beat the odds into print.  
Abstract:  Each year, literary journals receive far more quality submissions than they can possibly publish--sometimes tens of thousands more. Worse, the continuing decline in readers/paid subscribers, combined with (some would say caused by) the expanding number and influence of MFA programs and the journals they staff/support, has led to the ascendency of what Donald Hall once labeled the "McPoem". These poems, typically workshop-honed anecdotal (often-autobiographical) verse marked by a very narrow emotional and linguistic range, tend to be preferred by the major journals because they are "safe"--i.e., by taking only minor artistic/thematic "risks," they can offend no one. Still, there remain ways to get new, exciting work past the gatekeepers and into print. This presentation looks at several simple ways to improve your odds, from journal targeting and "proper" submission format (including poem order and the use/omission of cover letters) to self-editing strategies that anticipate the difficult decisions editors must make.  

Bio:  Bern Mulvey has published two books of poetry, not to mention numerous poems, articles and essays. The Fat Sheep Everyone Wants, published last year, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. He is the former poetry editor of The Missouri Review, and also served as faculty advisor/editor of Black Rock & Sage.      

John Rippey   Working with Forms: Writing Sonnets  
Lecture followed by guided discussion then free sharing   Summary:   It has been suggested that forms can make poetry easier to write. Let’s briefly review the characteristics of the sonnet in particular, then consider the ways in which the form might enable, and/or potentially disable, a writer, by reading examples of sonnets written in a variety of approaches and sharing our approaches to writing, or responses to the idea of writing, through form in general.  
Abstract:   The sonnet has demonstrated a durable appeal to readers and is a commonly employed resource in the repertoire of many modern and contemporary poets: Robert Frost, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Hayden, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Seamus Heaney, among many others. Although it is a received form, the sonnet continues to evolve organically and offer avenues to fresh expression. The sonnet appears to be amenable to innovation and capable of accommodating contemporary diction and sensibilities, while also maintaining a presence. The sonnet is suggested as offering a facilitating balance in its proportions, brief enough to remain in memory but long enough to air an argument, an appealingly disruptive turn or discontinuity within its stab at unity, and a range of possible patterns to subscribe to, disrupt, and/or ignore, among other resources.  

Bio: John Rippey teaches at St. Margaret’s Junior College in Tokyo. He received a BA in American History and Literature at Harvard College (1984), an MFA through New England College (2005), and is currently working toward a doctorate in creative writing through Lancaster University.  

11:30 - 13:00 Screening of "Obaachan's Garden" (see below from 13:00 for Linda Ohama's related presentation)  

12:00 Lunch  

13:00   Sally McLaren, “Perverted Orientals and Pale-skinned Girls": Media cliches, stereotypes and misrepresentations of gender relations in Japan.Short lecture with Q&A

Summary: This presentation will discuss recent writing on Japan and the extent to which it perpetuates orientalist and sensationalist depictions of gender relations. I will show examples of the ways in which eternally ‘unknowable’Japan  and ‘strange’ Japanese are tirelessly reproduced for Western audiences. Let's discuss alternatives! Abstract: This presentation will discuss recent writing on Japan and the extent to which it perpetuates orientalist and sensationalist depictions of gender relations. Until recently, there has been a large amount of attention on geisha in Western news media and book publishing on Japan. However, a new focus has emerged, sensationalising both Japanese and Western women who work as hostesses, and the men who are their customers. Much of this focus has come about through the tragic deaths of western women in Tokyo who were working as hostesses. Nevertheless, the same underlying message of an eternally ‘unknowable’ Japan and ‘strange’ Japanese behaviours is tirelessly reproduced for Western audiences. In addition, an enduring part of these representations is that Japanese men have particularly perverse sexual appetites, and women who work as hostesses are inherently vulnerable. Alternatives to this monolithic frame need to be considered.

Bio: Sally McLaren is a writer, editor, translator and media researcher. She has written for both domestic and international media, and is currently an assistant professor in the Department of International Studies at Doshisha Women's College.

14:00 Thomas Hardy The Art of the Abstract: Principles and Practices.
Summary: A well-written abstract is crucial for presenting and writing in professional contexts. This presentation (a) outlines a few rules of abstract writing, (b) has participants review sample abstracts (well written and otherwise), and (c) encourages participants to bring abstracts of their own for peer review based on the principles outlined. A well-written abstract is a foot in the door for people who want to present at professional conferences and write for professional academic publications. Your abstract is also often the only thing that appears during on-line searches. Without a well-crafted abstract, your proposal, no matter how meritorious in its own right, will not be entertained, your presentation not be accepted, your paper not published, and your work will languish without readers. In addition, (re)writing and editing abstracts written by Japanese colleagues is a task that requires the ability to explain and defend your editorial choices. This presentation (a) outlines a few simple rules of abstract writing for professional publications, (b) has participants critically review a few sample abstracts (well written and otherwise), and (c) encourages participants to bring abstracts of their own for peer review based on the principles and practices outlined.

15:00 Taylor Mignon: Creativity Facilitating Workshop
Summary: For this creativity facilitating workshop, open to all levels from advanced to beginning, the emphasis will be on engaging the writer through certain activities to stimulate initial seeds of ideas for later, individual, further development. The workshop will be divided into two components: brief free writing warm up activities based on three resources (music, art and dance on video); and formalistic activities acquiring and developing the Exquisite Corpse; an exercise inspired by the 1913 Yamamura Bocho poem "Geigo," and Fluxus art/anti-art. 

Room 3  

10:00   Joe Zanghi: Book Printing and Publishing in Japan: The Joys, the Pitfalls, the Expectation and Expectations Not Met, and The Times They are A’Changing
Short talk with Q & A
Summary: My personal experience in the production of the printed word in Japan. Discussion of book publishing in English materials in Japan from production to promotion. Topics will also  include self-publication and the changing world of printing to the web. The presentation will consist of what I have encountered in over two decades of working in print media with English-language materials in Japan. Mainly we will discuss book publication--from printing to promotion.  Also we will discuss the changing world of book printing as more and more migrate to the internet.

Bio: John Spiri has written over 100 published articles for publications such as The Boston Globe, Kansai Time Out, Japan Times, and The Sun magazine, as well as five EFL textbooks. His interests include bicycling, hiking, and “go.” John has lived in Japan 13 years and is an Associate Professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.  

12:00 Lunch  

13:00    Eric Johnston   REPORTING FOR JAPAN’S NEWS MEDIA: DO’S, DON’TS, AND WHAT IF’S  
Short Lecture with Q&A  
SUMMARY: An introduction to practical issues of being a Japan-based writer for domestic and overseas news media, with an explanation of the mistakes both beginning Japan Hands and old pros make when trying to get jobs, as well as a discussion of ethical issues news organizations face when considering freelance news reporting.  
ABSTRACT: With the implosion of traditional mainstream media forms worldwide, newsrooms are facing unprecedented pressures to cut costs, especially here in Japan. Newspaper and magazines continue to shut down their Tokyo bureaus (Newsweek officially closed their bureau in March and now hire only freelancers), citing high costs and a lack of relevant news.   While bad news for full-time journalists, these changes have created opportunities for a certain kind of Japan-based freelance writer who is good at networking, has a command of the Japanese language and a wide knowledge of Japanese society, and who knows what news editors in Japan and elsewhere want. Trusted individuals find they are making very good money, and that their assignments take them not only around Japan but also abroad. This seminar will introduce participants to some of the keys needed for success as a Japan-based reporter.

Bio: Eric Johnston is Deputy Editor of The Japan Times, Osaka bureau and a two-decade resident of the Kansai region. He covers primarily local and national politics and society. His work has appeared in The Guardian & Observer, The International Herald-Tribune, USA Today, Hokkaido Shimbun, Adbusters, Kyoto Journal, and Kansai Time Out.  

14:00   Todd Jay Leonard    "Traditional vs. Print-on-Demand Publishing:  The 'Pros and Cons' and the 'Ins and Outs' of Doing it Successfully"  
Short lecture with Q & A  
Summary: This presentation will outline the "pros and cons" and "ins and outs" of traditional publishing and the newer, more modern "print on demand" publishing trend.  The presenter, Todd Jay Leonard, has published extensively within both categories and will offer helpful advice for  budding authors who wish to pursue projects in either genre.    Abstract:    In today's competitive publishing world, a transformation is occuring which is allowing authors opportunities to put into print their creative work that traditional publishers have been either unwilling or hesitant to pursue in the past.  Doing away with the "middleman" (literary agent), offering deadline flexibility, along with a wide range of editorial services, the "print-on-demand" publisher is turning the entire industry on its ear.  

Bio: Todd Jay Leonard has been actively involved in book publishing as an author for  twenty years and has published fourteen books with traditional publishing companies, as well as four titles with print-on-demand companies.  This experience has given him a unique perspective in comparing the two types of publishing industries.   This presentation focuses on comparing the "pros and cons" and "ins and outs" of publishing with a mainstream, traditional publisher as opposed to going with a POD publisher.  In addition, Professor Leonard explains the differences between the two publishing classifications and addresses some common myths associated with both types of publsihing.      

Bio: Todd Jay Leonard lives, writes, and teaches in Hirosaki, Aomori-ken, Japan where he is a university professor.  He has published extensively in academic journals, magazines and newspapers on cross-cultural and historical topics, and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) themes. He is the author of 18 books. 

15:00 Greg Goodmacher: An Introduction to Writing EFL Textbooks in Japan, Short lecture with Q&A
Summary: Are you interested in writing EFL textbooks? The presenter has written three textbooks, each for a different publisher within Japan. There are various paths towards getting a textbook proposal accepted.  Successful textbook proposals, unpalatable editorial suggestions, and royalties are topics that we will discuss.
Abstract: This presentation will introduce ways to break into writing ESL textbooks for the Japanese and international markets. The presenter has written three textbooks, each for a different publisher within Japan. The presenter will share his personal experiences and tales that he has heard from other textbook writers. There are various paths towards getting a textbook proposal accepted or to even being requested to write textbooks. Some of the paths include visiting publishing company booths at language conferences, offering to review or pilot textbooks, inviting editors to visit your presentation, or downloading a proposal form from a website. Once a proposal is accepted, there are still other matters to consider, such as royalties and compromises with editors.  In addition, to the business of getting published, the presenter will explain certain educational principles that he adheres to when writing a textbook.  He looks forward to answering questions from the audience.

The 2nd Annual Japan Writers Conference

took place November 29 and 30, 2008

at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan

We all would like to thank the organizers of the 2008 conference:

John Gribble and Caudia Hamann: programming and coordination
Sarah Mulvey: Site manager
Jane Nakagawa: Publicity
John Spiri: Webmaster

Thanks to all the organizers, presenters, and participants. See you in 2009! Below are some photos of the conference taken by Claudia.

2008 program

Please note details are subject to change.