tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155949392024-03-13T11:07:09.704-05:00Marie Mutsuki MockettAll the things that go into writing about Japan and America, two very modern yet very different countries.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594939.post-45136656627538689952014-08-01T17:29:00.000-05:002014-08-01T17:29:24.718-05:00Powell Street Festival, VancouverI'm so excited to be heading to Vancouver, Canada, to participate in the annual Powell Street Festival, which celebrates Japanese-Canadian Culture. Obviously, I'm an American and sensitive to the that fact (and I'm now officially once again a Californian at that)! But the experiences of Japanese in North America are of course very similar, and I'll be very interested in meeting with people and talking to them and hearing their stories.<br><br>
There is a personal note here too--my mother tells me that in the early 20th century, one of our family members left Japan for Vancouver, never to be heard from again (though he supposedly was a doctor). I would so like to find out his story and meet his descendants, though I'm sure such a thing won't be possible on this trip.<br><br>
I'm going to be reading on Sunday, August 3rd at 1:30 with two lovely writers--<a href="http://umanitoba.ca/centres/ccwoc/writer_in_residence/SallyIto.html">Sally Ito</a> and <a href="http://www.lydiakwa.com">Lydia Kwa</a>. I was invited by the artist L<a href="http://www.leannedunic.com">eanne Dunic</a>, and am very much looking forward to meeting her as well. Our reading is from 1:30 to 2:15 PM, in the <a href="http://www.powellstreetfestival.com/artists/leanne-dunic/">Firehall Arts Center</a>. My piece will be available as a chapbook--it's titled "Remember Your Roots: Food for Regeneration" and is about foraging, egotistical sushi chefs and mechanics with ninja powers. Hope to see you there!<br><br>Unknownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09129670242606943621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594939.post-90870587121655741552013-07-08T08:38:00.000-05:002013-07-08T08:41:07.010-05:00NHK: Tomorrow Japan 3/11I've just returned from Japan, thanks to the generosity of the J<a href="http://www.mariemockett.blogspot.com/2012/06/japan-united-states-friendship.html">apan US Friendship Commission and the NE</a>A. While there, I was very flattered to be asked to participate in the documentary series <a href="http://www.nhk.or.jp/japan311/tomorrow/">Tomorrow Japan</a>. The series runs on NHK, Japan's national broadcasting system. Tomorrow Japan features j<a href="http://www.nhk.or.jp/japan311/tomorrow/">ournalists and artists</a> who each examine some aspect of the 3/11 disaster, which we now know is the most costly natural disaster to date. Past participants have included Cindy Lauper, Jane Birkin and David Suzuki.<br><br>
My own personal connection to 3/11 has been documented elsewhere, and you can read about it <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/opinion/15marie.html?_r=0">here</a> and <a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/02/tsunami/mockett-text">here</a>. I was approached by a producer and asked if perhaps I might like to examine some of the spiritual aspects of Japan and how it is coping with the massive death and destruction.
The show will run on NHK International, and also nationally. Here are a few photos that give you some sense of what I was able to do, thanks to NHK and the wonderful producer, Shigero Endo, and his crew.<br><br>
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<br><br>Here, I am with a group of Japanese priests of different sects, participating in sutra reading. Different Buddhist sects (and also non-Buddhist sects) use different prayers to quell the dead. At this spot in Sendai, it's said that numerous people died, and that a great many ghosts have been sighted. Priests travel here to help quell these spirits.<br><br>
A taxi driver I met later on in my travels told me it can take 30 years for spirits to be settled. <br><br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZUhIihHeyCg/Udq8Cd1GvII/AAAAAAAAILQ/6OFIeoglXY4/s1600/20130515_143217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZUhIihHeyCg/Udq8Cd1GvII/AAAAAAAAILQ/6OFIeoglXY4/s640/20130515_143217.jpg" /></a></div>
<br><br>I'm sitting here with a group of tsunami survivors from the town of Ishinomaki, which was badly hit by the tsunami. These people all live in temporary housing. And each person has his or her own story.<br><br>
The remarkable Buddhist priest Kaneta Taiou (who is a Zen priest--<a href="http://www.mariemockett.blogspot.com/2013/07/nhk-tomorrow-japan-311.html"><a href="http://www.mariemockett.blogspot.com/2013/07/nhk-tomorrow-japan-311.html"></a></a>same sect as my family), spends several days each week going from shelter to shelter. He brings coffee and cake and plays Thelonius Monk. A man after my own heart, considering that we are all big jazz fans in my house! <br><br>
He will listen to people talk, and has a way of getting them to express the very heart of what is troubling them very quickly. He's very tall and people trust his kind but authoritative--and honest--manner implicitly. It's common for women to burst into tears just by seeing his face. <br><br>
Among the unorthodox techniques he uses to help survivors, is the use of clay to make little Jizo, which are a kind of Buddha. That's what we are all doing in this photo. Some women have lost a family member in the tsunami, and they will write the name of the lost person on the Jizo's back. All the figures will later be blessed, and fired, and returned to their creators. <br><br>
The temporary housing units are very, very small. So any addition to the home must also be small, in order to fit into the small space.<br><br>
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<br><br>Here I am with Kaneta-san, and his crew. Many of these people are volunteers who, like me, volunteered for the first time. Kaneta-san welcomes all people of faith to help him out--one needn't be Buddhist. His strength and his kindness impressed me greatly. <br><br>Unknownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09129670242606943621noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594939.post-27522262302904499152012-11-21T10:05:00.000-05:002012-11-21T10:05:05.574-05:00Columbia University MFA Our Word ConferenceThank you so much to everyone at Columbia (my alma mater!) for bringing me in as the visiting writer for this year's Our Word Conference. I'm very excited.
I'll be meeting with a group of students, reading some of their work, and talking to them about it. This kind of work is near and dear to my heart as I do, of course, want to see more voices represented in literature. And as a reader, I just want to read more about the world from sensitive voices; travel, after all, is my ultimate high and addiction. Travel is how we meet people from places we have never been to, and make friends with folks we might otherwise never know.Unknownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09129670242606943621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594939.post-37228124743646755372012-06-19T17:00:00.000-05:002012-11-21T10:07:37.126-05:00Japan United States Friendship Commission AwardI'm very pleased--and quite humbled--to announce that I am one of five artists selected for the 2013 Japan United States Friendship Comission Award. <a href="http://www.jusfc.gov/uncategorized/u-s-japan-creative-artist-fellowship-finalists-for-2013-announced/http://www.jusfc.gov/uncategorized/u-s-japan-creative-artist-fellowship-finalists-for-2013-announced/">You can read more here</a>.
This grant, funded by the JUSFC and the NEA, will enable me to live in Japan for a period of three months next year. During that time, you can bet I'll be doing as much research and Japan absorption as I possibly can. At my age, I had thought that this kind of adventure would not come to pass. And I'm so thrilled that the Commission has placed its faith in me. You can be I'll be busy, and that I'll work hard.
I'll be updating my blog with more details as I learn more.
Congrats to the other four finalists!Unknownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09129670242606943621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594939.post-60912604026358956492012-01-18T12:55:00.003-05:002012-01-18T13:07:03.875-05:00National Geographic: A Time to RunLast July, I traveled to Japan for National Geographic. My assignment was to write a "cultural piece" about tsunamis in Japan--the world's most tsunami prone country. There were no firm rules about the piece, and my research and my questions led me to lots of interesting places, and into conversations with many different people. <br /><br />Ultimately, I ended up writing a more personal piece than I had expected to. You <a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/02/tsunami/mockett-text">can read "A Time to Run" here</a>, or in the February issue of National Geographic, with the dog on the cover. In this essay, I talk about the childhood journals I kept in Japan. Each night, I'd write an entry under my mother's watchful eye, and do a drawing. It's strange now to see that many of these pictures included waves and the water--but then this is not so strange when you consider that we were often by the beach.<br /><br />I'm heading for Japan tomorrow, but this will be a personal trip. And quite quick. It's an odd time to go to Japan--the New Year has started and we are still weeks away from <a href="http://mariemockett.blogspot.com/2006_02_01_archive.html">any winter festivities</a> and from the <a href="http://mariemockett.blogspot.com/2008/04/daigoji-hanami.html">first cherry blossoms</a>. But I'm looking forward to some quiet time and some conversations with friends and, of course, relaxing in a nice, big Japanese bath. There are a few things we just don't have in the States--a good onsen is one of them.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594939.post-42572122942031380562011-08-28T12:58:00.003-05:002011-08-28T13:04:12.169-05:00Above the Waves, and A HiatusI'm overdue in announcing that my memoir, tentatively titled "Above the Waves," has been sold to Alane Mason at Norton. (Norton!). Publishers Marketplace announced the sale thus:
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<br />"ABOVE THE WAVES details the history of Marie Mutsuki Mockett's family Buddhist temple in Iwaki, Japan, (25 miles from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power plant), and explores the religious and cultural frames within which people in Japan cope with death and disaster."
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<br />I'm hard at work now. ;-) Alane Mason has edited some of my favorite writers--people I've admired from afar.
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<br />I should also say that I've returned from a trip to Japan in July for a really exciting project, that I don't feel ready to announce publicly, but will when the time comes.
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<br />Needless to say, with all this work--and with an adorable 20 month old toddler--I don't have the time to update my blog as regularly as I used to and this means I'll be going on hiatus for the time being.
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<br />I've enjoyed making friends via the internet, and meeting so many interesting people. Hopefully there will come a time when I can update this blog again.
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<br />Thanks for stopping by and for reading.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594939.post-9024189958394066472011-04-17T17:10:00.002-05:002011-04-17T22:12:54.937-05:00Celebrating Penelope FitzgeraldI'll be celebrating the life and work of English author Penelope Fitzgerald along with event organizer (and friend and fellow writer) Ellis Avery, Jonathan Franzen, Joan Acocella, James Marcus and other writers at the <a href="http://kgbbar.com/calendar/events/tribute_to_penelope_fitzgerald/">KGB Bar this Sunday at 7</a>. Fitzgerald was extremely influential to me at an important part of my writing life and I'm happy to pay tribute to her life. Hope to see you there.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594939.post-73722203632751560312011-04-14T21:48:00.001-05:002011-04-17T22:10:36.078-05:00Back from JapanIt was too short of a trip and if I could go back tomorrow, I would. I always feel emotional when I go to and come from Japan, but of course, this time the trip was even more emotionally charged.<br /><br />I had taken great pains to change my ticket to avoid flying over Tohoku and to not to anywhere near Tokyo. For reasons that I won't go into, but which include problems with the airline, we ended up in Narita anyway. Usually a bustling airport, it was eerily empty with international travel at an all time low. This actually upset me--everyone who worked there carried themselves with such dignity and really tried to help us with our travel woes. And yet, of course, the gaijin are not coming.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KldB0XVlFrA/TauoCw4fFZI/AAAAAAAAHT8/-y5QPnC-X1U/s1600/photo%2528159%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KldB0XVlFrA/TauoCw4fFZI/AAAAAAAAHT8/-y5QPnC-X1U/s400/photo%2528159%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596751727372998034" /></a><br /><br />The mood in Tokyo was quite somber. Above, a sign from the JR office. Power shortages have inspired many to voluntary dim lights and keep usage low.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--rvvytHfyAk/TauoDa7GPpI/AAAAAAAAHUU/eeZSXmFekC0/s1600/photo%2528156%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--rvvytHfyAk/TauoDa7GPpI/AAAAAAAAHUU/eeZSXmFekC0/s400/photo%2528156%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596751738658242194" /></a><br /><br />One of the yearly cherry blossom season bento box specials. These kinds of little bursts of color felt very out of place in Tokyo, where everyone was dressed in black.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nx2rj61J7GQ/TauoDdiGtUI/AAAAAAAAHUM/OgzUjdjRT60/s1600/photo%2528157%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nx2rj61J7GQ/TauoDdiGtUI/AAAAAAAAHUM/OgzUjdjRT60/s400/photo%2528157%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596751739358721346" /></a><br /><br />One of the many, many places where I could donate money. This was taken at a family style restaurant in Osaka.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s6zK0alKLl8/TauoC2L5ysI/AAAAAAAAHUE/CmUtE5usNUk/s1600/photo%2528158%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s6zK0alKLl8/TauoC2L5ysI/AAAAAAAAHUE/CmUtE5usNUk/s400/photo%2528158%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596751728796617410" /></a><br /><br />View of Mt. Fuji, by bullet train.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mi1xLm9g3o8/TaunsJjqcZI/AAAAAAAAHTs/07BEx5ap6mE/s1600/photo%252826%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mi1xLm9g3o8/TaunsJjqcZI/AAAAAAAAHTs/07BEx5ap6mE/s400/photo%252826%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596751338859557266" /></a><br /><br />Ewan went to his first matsuri (to the eagle eyed, yes, he has also had a hair cut). It was a bit noisy for him and he isn't really used to loud, smelly, drunk men. But eventually, he felt more secure and had a good time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xZhYJ6SlCgI/Taunr2DKXwI/AAAAAAAAHTk/RQli8lrfaco/s1600/photo%252836%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xZhYJ6SlCgI/Taunr2DKXwI/AAAAAAAAHTk/RQli8lrfaco/s400/photo%252836%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596751333622963970" /></a><br /><br />This dashi comes in front of our friends' house every year and turns around before being hauled off. It's quite a spectacle.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F4kFmbtJKjE/TaunrqtjlsI/AAAAAAAAHTc/0_RTdmxrMFc/s1600/photo%252842%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F4kFmbtJKjE/TaunrqtjlsI/AAAAAAAAHTc/0_RTdmxrMFc/s400/photo%252842%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596751330579551938" /></a><br /><br />I am, of course, a veteran lover of matsuris. I hope to go back to Handa next year for the big shindig, which only occurs every few years.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wGgufdffJ7k/Taunrgvez1I/AAAAAAAAHTU/iXz3WEseMNU/s1600/photo%252872%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wGgufdffJ7k/Taunrgvez1I/AAAAAAAAHTU/iXz3WEseMNU/s400/photo%252872%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596751327903272786" /></a><br /><br />Somber as Japan was, nature will do what it will do. I happened to arrive on the week when the cherry blossoms hit their peak. They were so lovely and it was hard not to feel optimistic amidst so much beauty. Below, some photos in Kyoto.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xmRcASvT7jA/TaunhSV_txI/AAAAAAAAHTM/vfPks6NbFjM/s1600/photo%252890%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xmRcASvT7jA/TaunhSV_txI/AAAAAAAAHTM/vfPks6NbFjM/s400/photo%252890%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596751152239589138" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0DeMcR0V9AU/TaunhR0usKI/AAAAAAAAHTE/JRjpXBGiwac/s1600/photo%252897%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0DeMcR0V9AU/TaunhR0usKI/AAAAAAAAHTE/JRjpXBGiwac/s400/photo%252897%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596751152100061346" /></a><br /><br />Above--a nice cherry blossom chiffon cake from Starbucks. This kind of thing only appears for the season, of course.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G8Fzur6yg9k/TaunhKVYalI/AAAAAAAAHS8/ff_4I9uE0Cc/s1600/photo%2528100%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G8Fzur6yg9k/TaunhKVYalI/AAAAAAAAHS8/ff_4I9uE0Cc/s400/photo%2528100%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596751150089529938" /></a><br /><br />One of a few dinners I attended. This one was in Kyoto. Friends and I discussed the earthquake and its impact.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FLv0nZrP6Tg/Taung_MF6VI/AAAAAAAAHS0/cjlQvxgJtsw/s1600/photo%2528190%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FLv0nZrP6Tg/Taung_MF6VI/AAAAAAAAHS0/cjlQvxgJtsw/s400/photo%2528190%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596751147097778514" /></a><br /><br />May 5th is traditionally Boy's Day, but is now celebrated as Children's Day. All the same, I was so happy to find these koinobori--and to take my son to see them and enjoy them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FfVN18RQK0I/TaunggjWUEI/AAAAAAAAHSs/-KeZaL7VjdI/s1600/photo%2528191%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FfVN18RQK0I/TaunggjWUEI/AAAAAAAAHSs/-KeZaL7VjdI/s400/photo%2528191%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596751138873823298" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594939.post-33783207150887925722011-03-23T23:33:00.003-05:002011-03-26T23:36:52.919-05:00The New Yorker BlogA piece I wrote on the daily struggles of my family at the temple in Fukushima <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2011/03/japan-ohigan-marie-mutsuki-mockett.html">appeared on the New Yorker blog</a>. I've been trying not to hound my family, but obviously I am concerned for their well being.<br /><br />You will also note in the comments that two people criticized my use of the word "biannual" and suggested I substitute this with "semi-annual," which the New Yorker did. Today I received this email from my father-in-law in Scotland.<br /><blockquote><br />"I checked my Chambers Dictionary, and it gives both meanings for biannual. !!!!!"</blockquote><br /><br />Recently the Japanese government expanded the voluntary evacuation zone due to a lack of food and supplies reaching the area around the nuclear reactor. As far as I know, my family is still staying put, as they said they would.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594939.post-20293318106143145602011-03-16T23:30:00.003-05:002011-03-26T23:32:55.562-05:00Talk of the NationAfter my op ed in the New York Times came out, I was asked by producers at Talk of the Nation if would participate in a call in show about the disaster in Japan. You can listen <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/03/16/134598043/Japans-Northeast-Coast-Before-and-After-The-Quake">to the show here</a>; I'm on for the last 15 minutes. <br /><br />My thanks to Neal Conan and Priska Neely.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594939.post-11951839162161288872011-03-14T19:33:00.020-05:002011-03-26T23:37:24.164-05:00Fukushima, Japan/The New York Times Op-Ed<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hou5irQY8wA/TX9-kPF-mSI/AAAAAAAAGnI/m7E0PJfO09o/s1600/CIMG2148.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hou5irQY8wA/TX9-kPF-mSI/AAAAAAAAGnI/m7E0PJfO09o/s400/CIMG2148.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584321223954700578" /></a><br />First, thanks to all my friends and family members who have inquired about my family in Japan. And thanks to everyone who read my <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/opinion/15marie.html">piece in the New York Times</a>. As you know, cousins from my grandfather's side of the family live in Iwaki City, which is south of Sendai, about 20 miles from the Daini Nuclear Power Plant and 27 miles from the Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. While my family is alive and well at this moment, we are all obviously tremendously concerned, and have asked them to vacate the area. But as you also know, my family runs a Buddhist temple, which means they are now extremely busy comforting community members, and conducting funerals.<br /><br />In the event that you are stopping by here because you want to know a little bit about my family, I've included some pictures and information. Tohoku, the region of Japan hit by the earthquake and tsunami, is a very, very dear place to me and has been since childhood. That's partly why I set my novel, <a href="http://pickingbonesfromash.com/">Picking Bones from Ash</a>, in the north of Japan. Lots of people focus on the glamorous south (where the geishas live); I love the wild, unpretentious and traditional north.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gsW-e6hukDE/TX65fikEZrI/AAAAAAAAGnA/qc2XYY39kkA/s1600/4generations3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gsW-e6hukDE/TX65fikEZrI/AAAAAAAAGnA/qc2XYY39kkA/s400/4generations3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584104539491165874" /></a><br /><br />This is a photo showing four generations-my grandfather, who was 96 in this picture and who passed away just this January, my mother, my son Ewan, and me. This photo was taken last May. The temple belonged to my grandfather's father. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JZVGo-5ziQw/TX622EsPb7I/AAAAAAAAGmw/A5p_qEUPQuc/s1600/Ewan.and.Sempou.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JZVGo-5ziQw/TX622EsPb7I/AAAAAAAAGmw/A5p_qEUPQuc/s400/Ewan.and.Sempou.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584101628074487730" /></a><br /><br />This is Sempou, my mother's cousin. I have known him since I was a small child; he was adopted into our family in his twenties to take over the temple. But later, I learned that he was actually a blood relative (complicated, Dickensian story for another day. I <a href="http://www.bu.edu/agni/essays/print/2007/65-mockett.html">reference it here</a>). Here, Ewan is five months old. I was planning on going back to the temple with Ewan this April for my grandfather and grandmother's memorial services. Obviously, I will not make it up to the temple at all this spring. It remains to be seen if I will postpone the trip altogether. All the same, Sempou was delighted to meet my son, though he refused to smile for a photo for me, as is the Japanese way for a certain generation.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_p0yTPr3vs0/TX62d_jqNSI/AAAAAAAAGmI/lndgQCPf_2M/s1600/thoughtful%2BSempo.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_p0yTPr3vs0/TX62d_jqNSI/AAAAAAAAGmI/lndgQCPf_2M/s400/thoughtful%2BSempo.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584101214379455778" /></a><br /><br />A shot of Sempou putting the final touches on a funeral ceremony. The sutras for funerals are standard, but Sempou is a thoughtful man, who always looks for a way to personalize what he does; all deaths are unique.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vWdjHfPvYzo/TX62hVvXmoI/AAAAAAAAGmQ/hVdCEY26M4Y/s1600/Temple%2BInterior.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vWdjHfPvYzo/TX62hVvXmoI/AAAAAAAAGmQ/hVdCEY26M4Y/s400/Temple%2BInterior.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584101271873755778" /></a><br /><br />Sempou is inside the temple, conducting "Daihanya," a yearly Buddhist ceremony that occurs in February. Sempou has a beautiful voice and a charismatic presence. Watching him, I felt incredibly proud. You can see how many people rely on him for comfort. Our temple is on the stark side. This is partly because it is in the Sotoshu sect (Zen), but also because it is old (though not old enough to be some kind of historical site!)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rz4TlAWKILk/TX62q0hI3JI/AAAAAAAAGmg/q3E9lX-Mn_o/s1600/stylish%2Bpriest.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rz4TlAWKILk/TX62q0hI3JI/AAAAAAAAGmg/q3E9lX-Mn_o/s400/stylish%2Bpriest.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584101434754391186" /></a><br /><br />The two faces of Sempou's son, Maakun (as I call him). On the one hand, he's a stylish, Harajuku going fashionista, making the drive down to Tokyo for his clothes. He is also a very serious and compassionate young priest in the making. I wrote quite a lot about my cousin <a href="http://mariemockett.blogspot.com/2007/04/agni-letter-from-japanese-crematorium.html">here.</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dw4yTHHmexM/TX62lYMnP7I/AAAAAAAAGmY/OWDQ597_Xqs/s1600/stylish2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dw4yTHHmexM/TX62lYMnP7I/AAAAAAAAGmY/OWDQ597_Xqs/s400/stylish2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584101341252763570" /></a><br /><br />A casual shot of my young cousin greeting a visitor. This walkway connects the temple (left) to the house (right) where everyone lives. Privacy is a little hard to come by at the temple, as visitors drop by without warning and the priests (not to mention their wives) must be ready to receive and entertain them. Of course, other people make appointments, but it's completely unsurprising when someone shows up out of the blue. Also, note the parasol. I now carry one in New York!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cAwOBLwGgGc/TX65IHgr_qI/AAAAAAAAGm4/Gb6gp6PADcI/s1600/greeting.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cAwOBLwGgGc/TX65IHgr_qI/AAAAAAAAGm4/Gb6gp6PADcI/s400/greeting.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584104137092234914" /></a><br /><br />But don't get the idea that my cousins--Maakun and his brothers--are in any way overly serious. They are boys. Here, priest gear is mixed in with Sony Playstation gear.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TBgnLd-IEaY/TX62wKk-WNI/AAAAAAAAGmo/UTe-AiW-UF8/s1600/priestly%2Bgadgets.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TBgnLd-IEaY/TX62wKk-WNI/AAAAAAAAGmo/UTe-AiW-UF8/s400/priestly%2Bgadgets.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584101526575405266" /></a><br /><br />I also wanted to include a shot of what the coast looks like in peaceful times. My mother and I routinely stay at <a href="http://www.sekinoyu-spa.com/">Sekinoyu Spa</a>, near Nakoso. It’s a traditional place, with a sign out front declaring that no one with a<br />tattoo will be allowed to bathe inside. When I arrive, it’s usually<br />evening and I immediately head to the baths, before retiring to the<br />dining hall for a bowl of raw, fresh sea urchin and rice. Then it’s<br />off to bed in a futon—a real futon that lies on the woven tatami floor<br />of my room, and not a wooden Ikea frame. Older, single men often opt<br />to spend the night in armchairs so as to avoid paying for a hotel<br />room; they rise and bathe and eat in the morning. I wake up to the<br />cinnamon sun warming the horizon and fishermen out to get their catch.<br />The waves of the North Pacific crash right outside the window, and a<br />seawall comprised of concrete pieces that look like oversized jacks,<br />combs the water.<br /><br />Below, a view of the sunrise over the ocean, and the boats at sea.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PROJgR1ZLMs/TX62ad62snI/AAAAAAAAGmA/Nxuze7xldqE/s1600/small%2Bsunset.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PROJgR1ZLMs/TX62ad62snI/AAAAAAAAGmA/Nxuze7xldqE/s400/small%2Bsunset.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584101153810330226" /></a><br /><br />If you want to read more, here are some notes and photos from <a href="http://mariemockett.blogspot.com/2010/06/japan-day-one.html">Ewan's first trip to Japan last year</a>, some photos from <a href="http://mariemockett.blogspot.com/2008/05/two-temple-visits.html">Maakun's wedding</a>, notes on what happens <a href="http://mariemockett.blogspot.com/2007/04/agni-letter-from-japanese-crematorium.html">at a funeral</a>, and a piece I wrote titled <a href="http://mariemockett.blogspot.com/2007/04/agni-letter-from-japanese-crematorium.html">Letter from a Japanese Crematorium</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594939.post-86706769681034936172011-02-12T23:15:00.005-05:002011-02-13T15:51:48.299-05:00Sara Mearns, Swan Queen"So, you know how Sara Mearns is kind of wild on stage?"<br /><br />"Yes."<br /><br />"That's why they have to give her a dependable partner."<br /><br />What does it mean to be wild on stage? There is a moment in the whimsical ballet Namouna, where Mearns does a series of jumps, while turning backward in the air, and landing against some men who must catch her. She can't see them. She has to trust that they are there and won't drop her. They don't know how hard she will jump. The whole thing is terrifying. Some dancers would hold back and play it safe, hitting the beat, or jumping high enough to look impressive, but not angling their bodies to ever be at any risk. Think of iceskaters at the Olympics, pausing before the big jump, then landing with a look of relief. Sara doesn't do this. She throws herself. She seems to enjoy it. You feel frightened for her and thrilled. You end up enjoying it too.<br /><br />This was the energy Mearns brought to Swan Lake last night at the New York City Ballet pretty much from the moment go. Her white swan, Odette, leapt onto the stage and immediately began to flutter with fear and exhaustion. Mearns did something I've never seen anyone do before--she radiated the panicked nervousness of a bird frantically trying to get out of a cage, with a sort of queenly, eon-long suffering beauty. Hers was a Run-Lola-Run-Jason-Bourne swan, running on adrenaline, but still hopeful that one day her predicament will end. <br /><br />As a contrast, take a look at Uliana Lopatkina of the Kirov.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sbcRD6C6CuM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Here is a swan who looks like she's emerging from the water. She's had a nice bath and is stretching out her wings to dry. She is queenly and regal and turns away from the prince because, well, maybe he isn't good enough for her. She's silky, elegant, and gorgeous. She meets the prince and thinks: hmm. Maybe you can help me!<br /><br />For contrast, here is another version, this time from the Paris Opera Ballet. You'll notice a difference--the leg extensions are not quite as high. For me, this interpretation, performed by Agnès Letestu, is high on actorly drama. Odette looks like a bird. She is in some ways a more physical creature than the swan above, all darting eyes and twitching head. <br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/I1y8DwmvHZk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />And here's one more, from a slightly different moment in the ballet. Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn are Siegfried the prince, and Odette the swan, respectively. Look how passionate and how in love the two seem. It is going to break your heart later when he (oops) chooses another woman over her.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/J8PJGXvZ4u8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />I don't think any interpretation is the most correct (and if you want to see more, knock yourself out. Type in "Odette's entrance" and see what you get). The point is just that Sara's, to me, was completely unique. In she flew, an exhausted, gorgeous, swan queen who we all very much wished to help. She was riveting; her performance gripping. If I put on my thinking cap, I'd say that here is an example of a performer taking something that has been done hundreds of times, and finding a way to make it new. As a fan, I would just say I sat there transfixed, and thrilled, with my hand over my mouth. <br /><br />Dancers usually say that it is the black swan who is more difficult to capture. If you have seen Black Swan, the movie, then you know all about the received opinion concerning this role. In a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/arts/dance/13swan.html?ref=dance">recent article in the New York Times</a>, NYCB dancer Sterling Hyltin (whom I also love), said:<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/I1y8DwmvHZk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><blockquote><br />“By nature white swan is easier for me. I’m more petite. We’ve got some very tall women in our company who do ‘Swan Lake,’ and for me it’s intimidating to feel as womanly as they are in a role, but I have to realize I’m a woman just like them.” </blockquote><br /><br />The black swan is the sexy, show-stopping role. She is the one who does 32 fouettes (a kind of demanding turn--ballet fans often count to see if a ballerina does them well). For example, here is Gillian Murphy:<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bOdE0P7K0HM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />No wonder the prince forgets about the white swan, right? Initially, (as in, a few years ago), Mearns <a href="http://newyork.timeout.com/arts-culture/dance/454/a-swan-is-born">didn't even do the full fouette regimen</a>, though she certainly did last night when I saw her. And while she was also not doing multiple turns, like Murphy did above, the effect was still thrilling. Her Odile was in command, sexy, not cruel, but certainly intent on overpowering the prince. <br /><br />So, no wonder the prince chooses Odile by accident and breaks Odette's heart, right? Why would anyone choose the fluttering, silky, sad white swan over the sexy one? Except, the way that Mearns played the white swan, as I described above, anchored the character so fully as the most important part of the story, that you could only feel even more devastated by the prince's betrayal. On a story level, the fact that Mearns infused Odette with so much adrenaline driven energy--you feel her fear--means that the last act does not fall flat. You do not think: "Oh, here we are with that white swan again." It's a brilliant way to play the duality and one I've not seen before. It makes sure that you, the audience member, are completely invested in the heart of the story, and that you are not treated merely to an evening of acrobatics.<br /><br />In the hallway, during intermission, I ran into a veteran dance critic who said to me, dreamily: "It used to be this way every night."<br /><br />But a ballet shouldn't just be about its star. True, I paid for my ticket because of Mearns. But one hopes that the rest of the ballet will also be good. And there was some good dancing. Daniel Ulbricht seems made for the role of the jester. It's one of the jumping-man roles, which also calls for the ability to appear good natured and playful. Ulbricht is all of these things, and he was certainly airborne. Joaquin de Luz was even more extraordinary, with some of the most effortless double tours I've ever seen. I enjoyed the trio of Abi Stafford, Megan Fairchild and Tiler Peck--I love Peck in particular. Anna Sofia Scheller, whom I've not been nice to in the past, really impressed me last night, what with her strong, playful dancing. She is someone who just seems to radiate *health* and does well when her characters are healthy. This was the second time I watched Eria Pereira. The first was in Chaconne where I thought she must be a student, she looked so small and hesitant on stage. I'm confused as to how she managed to become a soloist, while someone with actual stage presence, like Lauren King, is back in the corps. <br /><br />Then there was Jared Angle, as Siegfried the prince. Angle is a solid partner, but his acting and emotion lack variety and depth. Look, for example, at this clip from the Royal Ballet. It's from the end of Swan Lake, when Siegfried realizes what a mess he has made of things, and so dashes frantically around the lake looking for the swan/woman he has betrayed. Watch for the urgency of his movements. (This is Nureyev, we are talking about).<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qG7JvpPGdEU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />(Musically, by the way, this sounds like just the kind of thing John Williams would have listened to and used for some of his movie music. Listen again).<br /><br />This kind of passion was missing from Angle. And this makes me wonder what Mearns would be capable of were she to dance with an even better partner. I am thinking, for example of how much passion the often reserved David Hallberg (whom I adore) gave his Romeo when he danced with Osipova in Romeo and Juliet last spring. Even <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/12/arts/dance/12romeo.html">Gia Kourlas wrote</a>: <br /><br /><blockquote>As young ballet stars they show a longing to push past the point of comfort in their roles, especially those as fraught with history and emotion as Romeo and Juliet. You can sense their impatience, their devotion and, finally, their desire not to settle for a performance on the surface. </blockquote><br /><br />This is not to say that David Hallberg isn't amazing at everything he does. It's just that partnered with Osipova, he seemed to push himself even more. And looking at Mearns, who is clearly an artist of immense talent, intuition and depth, I couldn't help but want even more for her than she already has. What magic, for example, might we see if she danced with Marcelo Gomes? The set around them would melt.<br /><br />Of course, if the set in question is one designed by Per Kirkeby, that would not be such a bad thing. I have been googling trying to find pictures of the sets and costumes to show you, but none seem to exist. There is probably a reason for this. They are horrendous. I have an open mind when it comes to modern productions--I loved the much booed Tosca at the Met, for example. But what on earth possessed anyone to think that a high octane splattered primary color based set that looked like Jackson Pollock on acid would be in any way shape or form, good? The mottled courtiers who opened act two looked like marbled fudge chess pieces from a discarded production of Alice in Wonderland. The jester, as someone said to me, looked like a gnome in neon fatigues. At some point, this kind of color scheme starts to look willfully in bad taste. It's not funny. It's cynical.<br /><br />My friend <a href="http://andevers.com/">Allison</a> put it best when she said: "Tim Gunn would never let them get away with this!"<br /><br />Or, as another friend, who is not a regular ballet goer said to me: "This is distracting." Well, yes. It was also distracting when the orchestra decided to race through the first act, as though on speed. Why so afraid of something classic? If there is a heart to a story, it will show. Why not embrace that?<br /><br />The ending of City Ballet's production has also been considered "controversial." Last year, after attending Darci Kistler's farewell performance, I wrote that it was "strange." Looking at it again, though, I've decided it is wonderful. In most versions, Odette and Siegfried either jump off a cliff and die (ABT), or vanquish the evil von Rothbart and live (Bolshoi). Here's the incomparable Plisetkaya, alive at the end of act 4, and protecting all the little swans who have clustered around her.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GU-KsTA3jnU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />City Ballet does something different. The tormented, desperate Odette manages to vanquish von Rothbart, but still she is engulfed by the sisterhood of black *and* white swans, only to disappear out of sight. It's a feminist ending to a ballet that otherwise relies heavily on the power of a prince for salvation. At the end, Mearns, as the swan, is presumably healed from the affliction of the aviary curse. But, regretfully, she must retreat to now recover, one assumes, from her century long ordeal and perhaps even a broken heart.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594939.post-44131243026038409442010-08-05T19:12:00.012-05:002010-08-06T23:00:28.377-05:00Japanese Baby FoodHere's what I don't understand (and non-baby people, just skip this post as it will likely annoy you as much as it would have annoyed me when I was a non-baby person). <br /><br />New mothers have this incredible pressure on them to breast feed and even to breast feed exclusively. The ones who breast feed exclusively--heretofore known as EBF, as it is referenced on message boards--can, at times, lord their perfection over others. Somewhere I read that baby formula ought to be available <a href="http://www.urbanbaby.com/talk/posts/51751935">by prescription only</a>. This debate rages and continues and new mothers get together and slowly figure out who is supplementing with formula and who isn't and who might be "cool" with the whole issue of formula and who might not and are relieved to find non-judgy kindred spirits. Dr. Sears, the current baby guru, spends pages and pages on breastfeeding, reminding us that "breast is best," and citing studies which correlate breast milk with everything from IQ to obesity (studies which others are ready to challenge). Most mothers I know--and this is anecdotal--suffer some sort of guilt or insecurity over breastfeeding and this is made all the more annoying when some paragon of female perfection, aka Gisele Bundchen comes out and declares that <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1299711/Gisele-Bundchen-says-breastfeeding-law-6-months.html">breastfeeding ought to be THE LAW</a>. <br /><br />So, this goes on and on . . . and then around 4 to 8 months, depending on who you are, you realize that your baby actually has to eat. Food. And then the debate switches to safe foods and textures. And that's kind of it. <br /><br />There's a big part of me that wants to say, wait. What? The debate was over breastfeeding versus formula and now it's over? Didn't anyone read the article about how <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35350889/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/">we literally are what we eat</a>? As a country, we are about <a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5655196/cdc_report_on_american_obesity_epidemic.html?cat=5">30 percent obese</a> and 60 percent overweight. And this, mind you, is despite the fact that <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db05.htm">breastfeeding rates are rising</a>. Breastfeeding. That activity which is supposed to just maybe <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/promotion/index.htm">prevent obesity</a>. <br /><br />I don't understand why we aren't talking about what babies eat after the initial milk only phase is over. I don't understand why there is a paucity of material on what to feed your baby and how to do it correctly. <br /><br />What's more, I'm starting to think that we really as a culture don't love food all that much, or at least, that we can't seem to tell the difference between what is good for us and what supposedly makes us feel good. <br /><br />Here's the list of foods that Dr. Sears recommends for a 6 month old baby.<br /><blockquote>bananas<br />rice cereal<br />pears <br />applesauce</blockquote><br /><br />What is rice cereal? It's cooked rice that has been sapped of all moisture so you can reconstitute it with breast milk or formula. It's like instant oatmeal.<br /><br />From 7 to 9 months, baby may eat:<br /><blockquote>avocados<br />peaches<br />carrots<br />squash<br />prunes<br />sweet potatoes or yams<br />mashed potatoes<br />barley cereal<br />teething biscuits<br />pear and apple juice</blockquote><br /><br />No meat. A lot of sweet foods. The prepackaged baby food companies oblige, and go along with this kind of food progression. When I went to look at some organic jar foods to see if there was something I could take for Ewan on a trip, I found lots and lots of sweets and fruits. About the only non-sweet thing for a young baby was a jar of peas.<br /><br />Here are the foods the Japanese baby food book recommends for babies aged 5 to 6 months:<br /><blockquote>rice (cooked and reboiled and mashed)<br />bread (again, softened and mashed)<br />soumen noodles (see above)<br />potatoes<br />tofu<br />flounder<br />bream<br />shirasu (white anchovies, which must be rinsed of salt and mashed)<br />plain yogurt<br />carrot<br />broccoli<br />apples<br />strawberries<br />melon<br />watermelon</blockquote><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/TFuHPDkt-UI/AAAAAAAAD_k/-YPMF5U1APk/s1600/photo(3).JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/TFuHPDkt-UI/AAAAAAAAD_k/-YPMF5U1APk/s400/photo(3).JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502140062490294594" /></a><br /><br />Around 7 to 8 months, the Japanese baby food book recommends adding:<br /><blockquote><br />udon<br />soybean powder<br />egg yolk<br />snapper<br />cottage cheese<br />chicken breast<br />spinach<br />egg plant<br />tangerine<br />kiwi</blockquote><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/TFuHIkg3lTI/AAAAAAAAD_U/L-IIGIc0HHU/s1600/photo(5).JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/TFuHIkg3lTI/AAAAAAAAD_U/L-IIGIc0HHU/s400/photo(5).JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502139951073432882" /></a><br /><br />There are recipes too, in the cookbook, on how to make a broth with kelp and fish, so you can season rice and potatoes and virtually anything else. The instructions are clear: aim to give your child carbs, protein and veggies with every meal. Sound familiar? Sure--that's what you want your child to eat as he gets older. In other words, the whole idea behind Japanese baby food is that your baby is eating. He is eating your food. He is not adapting to texture. He is eating and enjoying the things that you already love.<br /><br />The cookbook is gorgeous. The photos appetizing. I taste the baby food and think that if I were a baby, I'd eat what I am making. Would I eat jarred prunes and spinach? No. Yes, babies have to get most of their nutrition from formula. But how can you eat a healthy diet as a baby when you have to chow through a container of prunes? I find, too, that by following these instructions, I think about what I should eat. If he is eating some egg, I'll eat some egg. If he can now eat spinach, I'll eat spinach. These are all things I should be eating anyay.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/TFuHL5nOVTI/AAAAAAAAD_c/Y5uIIoMXB2A/s1600/photo(4).JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/TFuHL5nOVTI/AAAAAAAAD_c/Y5uIIoMXB2A/s400/photo(4).JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502140008276841778" /></a><br /><br />So why is the debate about what we feed children not more charged? Why don't we worry more about what we are eating from a very small age? Why is there no gorgeous baby food book that makes cooking fun and eating fun? And I guess that last statement sort of answers the question--people in Japan love to eat. It's fun. It makes sense that you want to share what you love with your child. If you don't value food or what you are eating, then how can you pass on healthy habits to your own children?<br /><br />*steps off soap box*Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594939.post-37701318625624612702009-09-24T23:49:00.013-05:002009-10-05T22:42:58.700-05:00Kay Ryan's Suitcase<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/SrxO6HqXjFI/AAAAAAAAChA/5cfe29Me3Ro/s1600-h/photo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/SrxO6HqXjFI/AAAAAAAAChA/5cfe29Me3Ro/s320/photo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385266014824402002" /></a><br /><br />A number of years ago (1995?) when I was living in the Bay Area, I was listening to the local NPR station. The program that afternoon included three poetry readings, which were taking place in <a href="http://www.sfwmpac.org/herbst/ht_index.html">San Francisco's Herbst Theater</a>. A poet took to the stage and announced that she would be reading a "topical" poem that was meant to be "applied locally." The first line of her poem: "Herbst is the superlative of herb." <br /><br />I straightened up. Here was someone very clever and sly and very smart. I wrote down her name--<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Ryan">Kay Ryan</a>--and when the day was over, I had been to the local bookstore to purchase her collection of poetry: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flamingo-Watching-Kay-Ryan/dp/0914278649">Flamingo Watching</a>. The two other poets that day were Robert Haas and Jane Hirschfield. But it was Ryan I remembered.<br /><br />I became <a href="http://mariemockett.blogspot.com/2008/12/congratulations-to-lisa.html">a tremendous</a> <a href="http://mariemockett.blogspot.com/2008/07/saturn-return.html">fan</a>. The internet was new then, and I could find <a href="http://www.danagioia.net/essays/eryan.htm">only one article</a> about her work. I looked for her poems in the New Yorker. I bought volumes of Poetry magazine just because her work was included. I found her so smart and original. Of course her personal story resonated with me too--here was someone outside of the academy who had a singular vision and pursued it. These were all things <a href="http://mariemockett.blogspot.com/2008/07/saturn-return.html">I related to</a> as an aspiring writer. I have all her books, even the very first one she printed called "Dragon Acts to Dragon Ends"--there must be only a few hundred that were very printed. I don't know.<br /><br />In case you haven't been paying attention, Kay Ryan has since gone on to become the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Ryan">US Poet Laureate</a> (2008). When she received this honor, I felt extremely fan-girlish. My Kay Ryan! Whom I had loved for such a long time was getting the attention she deserved! I am a rational person with friends who are well known in their fields, but I'm afraid that I am not at all immune to feelings of fandom about certain artists. Kay Ryan is one of them. <br /><br />Yesterday, on my flight back from San Francisco, I noticed a suitcase in the Business Class section. It had been left behind--the Business and First class passengers had long since departed the plane. The tag read: "Kay Ryan." I thought: could it be? I actually considered not getting off the plane right away to see if THE Kay Ryan might claim the suitcase. But this seemed like an extreme and stalkerish thing to do. I did, however, <a href="http://twitter.com/MarieMockett/status/4329504258">Tweet</a> late last night that I wondered if the suitcase had actually belonged to my very favorite living poet. All day today I wondered if I had blown my chance to let her know how much I loved her work.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/SrxRM_A9EeI/AAAAAAAAChg/gi3B0TFKxFU/s1600-h/photo(3).jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/SrxRM_A9EeI/AAAAAAAAChg/gi3B0TFKxFU/s320/photo(3).jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385268537943986658" /></a><br /><br />This evening, my friend Jeffrey and I were off to see Tosca at the Met (despite the <a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/22/a-chorus-of-boos-and-a-few-cheers-for-tosca-from-readers/?ref=music">many reports</a> <a href="http://gawker.com/5365211/opera-solidifies-reputation-as-the-nascar-of-the-arts-world">of booing</a>, I thought the production was excellent, and the naysayers crazy. But more on that another time). Before the opera, however, Jeffrey took me to the opening of the <a href="http://www.poetshouse.org/">Poets House</a>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/books/25poetry.html?ref=books">a gorgeous space</a> filled with poetry journals and books and with views of the Hudson River. Bill Murray was there. So too Laurie Anderson.<br /><br />I was waddling after a group of nimble people getting into the elevator when I fell behind. Pregnant women are often stragglers. A figure in a black suit blocked my way. The people in the elevator smiled patiently as I tried to get around the dark suit. Once in the elevator I looked to see who had been obstructing my path. As the doors closed, I looked at Jeffrey and asked: "Was that Kay Ryan?" It was.<br /><br />I could not believe it. So. That HAD been her suitcase. I stumbled back down the stairs, (past Bill Murray) and went over to say hello. She was, of course, extremely kind and my friends watched as I babbled on and on about Dragon Acts to Dragon Ends (she asked me to burn it. As if. We all start somewhere) and her "Herbst is the superlative of herb" poem. We took a photo, which you see above. We had a lovely chat about a number of things and she put up with me. And then, we went on our way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/SrxRIu79h_I/AAAAAAAAChY/Zlm-dcCQLPs/s1600-h/photo(5).jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/SrxRIu79h_I/AAAAAAAAChY/Zlm-dcCQLPs/s320/photo(5).jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385268464908601330" /></a><br /><br />Laurie Anderson talked about how we are all in the mine and we are all in trouble. "There is trouble in the mine," she said. I couldn't see her, but there were video screens with her face everywhere on every floor. She used a voice distorter. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/SrxRDCerUQI/AAAAAAAAChI/ABk9cCrY4lg/s1600-h/photo(7).jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/SrxRDCerUQI/AAAAAAAAChI/ABk9cCrY4lg/s320/photo(7).jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385268367075266818" /></a><br /><br />The tech guy watched to make sure everything was working. I ate a lot of hors d'oeuvres. And then, we left for the opera, and Jeffrey had to listen to me say all night that I could not believe I had met Kay Ryan and that it had been her suitcase after all on my flight.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594939.post-90882937983517756122009-09-04T09:06:00.003-05:002009-09-04T09:09:57.885-05:00Bread Loaf Scholars<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/SqEe_oS05HI/AAAAAAAACfo/_KEBSIZEdoI/s1600-h/BLScholars09.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 228px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/SqEe_oS05HI/AAAAAAAACfo/_KEBSIZEdoI/s320/BLScholars09.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377613508554056818" /></a><br /><br />Here we are, <a href="http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/blwc/awards/">my new friends</a> to whom I've grown quite attached, and yours truly. The light is gorgeous here--we are standing just outside Treman where a cocktail hour was in progress. Being pregnant meant no cocktails for me, sadly.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15594939.post-21757216677623033812009-08-25T11:18:00.004-05:002009-08-27T10:48:42.385-05:00The Book Is Here<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/SpQPOKQGOuI/AAAAAAAACfM/DiRto4ATGpE/s1600-h/photo(11).jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/SpQPOKQGOuI/AAAAAAAACfM/DiRto4ATGpE/s320/photo(11).jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373936991304301282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/SpQPCXN89DI/AAAAAAAACfE/wUgSsvwt6P8/s1600-h/photo(10).jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KKOjBo6EGMg/SpQPCXN89DI/AAAAAAAACfE/wUgSsvwt6P8/s320/photo(10).jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373936788626535474" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4