January 11, 2008 -- Friday afternoon

Reading a book of essays by Japanese author, Yukiko Kishimoto. The title is something like Over Thirty Years is the Best Season for Women. Usually she doesn't read essays--she prefers fiction.

Two authors she recommends are Haruki Murakami (though she saids she doesn't understand him well...and neither do her friends) and Banana Yoshimoto, who she really likes. Her writing is really poetic and she makes beautiful, specific atmospheres.

If she were to write a book it would be about Japanese women in American life--she's lived here for two years now and has enough material to write a book about it!