night of the pineapple horrors … part 2

Last Thursday, I discovered something about Mavis Hara’s "An Offering of Rice": the scene where Tatsue slices off her fingertip JUST GETS WORSE with subsequent readings! Because of Eric Chock’s introduction of "An Offering of Rice" at Wine & Words, I had a general idea of what was going to happen. Plus I read it on my own after the KCC reading. Thus, at the UH book launch, I knew exactly why Tatsue was distracted, how it happened, what it felt like, her reaction, everyone else’s reaction as the bloody pineapple traveled down the line. I started to shudder and make "yuck" faces several pages before the actual scene, so it’s a good thing Mavis Hara didn’t look at me and catch me doing those things. It really is a compliment on her ability to conjure powerful images in my head … even though a yuck face might not be the best way to convey such praise.

Speaking of authors, I might be related to Juliet Kono! Another volunteer pointed her out to me, and I still get nervous/excited when I meet authors. I was debating how/when/if I should go up to her and introduce myself, but she came up to me instead! I have an unusual Japanese last name that everyone comments on, from bank employees to admissions committees to excellent local authors. She remembered people with my last name visiting her father in her childhood. Since there are only nine of us in the phone book and I’m related to at least seven of them, I think it’s very possible we’re related. There’s probably a more literate, sophisticated way to phrase this, but all I can come up with right now is "SO COOL!"

EVEN MORE speaking of authors (yippee!), Chang-Rae Lee this Thursday!