Excerpt from Litany
I am in a composite of Japanese places rather than any one place, yet surrounded by people with British accents.
I think I want to create a new literary conference, not one that teaches beginners how to write, but attracts accomplished writers and poets from all over the world as well as visual artists who work in a collaborative way with the writers. An annual multilingual event, a chance to hang out with cool people once a year, and always in the same location, not too far for my disabled body to get to, and having vegan low residue gluten free food options (for myself of course as well as for the planet).
It seems like we have a great location though we currently lack the diversity I plan to have (including Japanese people!!). Yet upon closer inspection the structures are all flimsy and whenever I walk into a room walls collapse and structures and objects fall on my body. Some of the walls are bedsheets and others are washi.
It turns out that the people currently in my midst are all comics and dramatists. They want to create a play and are talking about the plot and the roles they will take. Every time I pass any of them they are talking excitedly about it. Some ask me what my role will be and I tell them: I will be the head of the conference, so I don’t need to do anything. But I can tell they are not satisfied by this response.
I keep walking, mainly to escape the actors. I am repeatedly asked about my role and now I simply stay silent when asked.
Exhausted, I find a mattress in the middle of a park near a small pond with carp in it and lie down on it. Suddenly I notice a British man in a clown outfit on the mattress with me. He is writhing around and uttering nonsense. Don’t you laugh? he says to me. No, I reply. I can only cry.
Read more Creative Nonfiction and Daniel Bratton’s interview with Jane in this issue of Wordgathering.
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About the Author
Jane Joritz-Nakagawa is a former associate professor at a pedagogical university in central Japan known as Aichi University of Education. She is the author of twelve full length collections of poetry as well as chapbooks, fiction, non-fiction, and other works. Her most recent books include Luna (2024) and Plan B Audio (2020), both full length poetry print collections with Isobar Press (Tokyo/London). Born in the USA, Japan has been her home for the latter half of her life. Email is welcome at janejoritznakagawa at gmail dot com.