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boklogofor · 5 months

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寡黙な死骸、みだらな弔い is such a neat collection of short stories. I haven't read any Ogawa Youko before, but she definitely seems to be in the same region as the other modern authors I've read (a bit like Murakami Haruki, bit like my beloved Kawakami Hiromi).

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Among the short stories I've already managed to read in JP, a surprising amount have had deliberate inter-story connections. In 神の子どもたち…, all the stories end up taking up the earthquake in Kobe as some kind of peripheral-yet-important event, which makes the entire collection feel focused on something which never actually appears in the text. The main characters all stay far away from Kobe. Some are not even in Japan, yet the earthquake ends of infiltrating all of the stories in important ways. That the stories are treated, not just as individual, separate little content bubbles, but as distant parts of a coherent narrative... I really liked that.

But then I read 神様, and despite being structured very differently, it's equally fascinating. I like the stories much better than 神の子どもたち, anyway... The opening story of the collection, introducing the reader to the kind of writing Kawakami does so well, and inviting us into this Narnia-esque world of hers. In that book, you may be whisked away by winter spirits, come face to face with the little creatures that guard the pear groves, and it's all just completely normal and natural. There's nothing weird with a bear moving in next-doors; it's just how this world works. And after all of these cute stories, all tied together with the governing theme of 絆 / kizuna / "bonds between people", the story ends in a similar fashion to how we were introduced to it... the doors of the closet swing shut, and we're stuck here, outside of the world we've taken a tour of. Loved it.

みだらな弔い is a different beast though. It takes the peripheral earthquake from 神の子どもたち and throws it out the window. The first story seems contained, almost to the point where it seems to take place on a plane of its own. And on that note - it's very difficult not to think of げんじつ荘 by 小池昌代, where the main character walks past a coffee shop where "time itself is distorted, stretching like taffy" - this is the kind of feeling I got reading about the confectionery in みだらな弔い.

But then the second story starts, apparently unrelated, this short narrative where the MC is brought along to a very charged situation as emotional support. Many years after the event, after not having talked at all for the better half of a decade, the MC calls the girl again... and she's working in a confectionery. The girl we've gotten to know in the second story is the very same as the person standing in the kitchen of the confectionery, calling someone, crying. The same moment in time, narrated from two perspectives.

And this is far from an isolated incident. The entire book has, as its guiding theme... "絡み"? Maybe? Isolated stories and perspectives that end up tangentially touching each other in significant ways. After the third or fourth story, the structure is obvious: almost everything you read about in one story WILL reappear in another one. It's like a doubled version of Chekhov's Gun: the hamster in 心臓の仮縫い becomes important not just in the story itself... but it returns in the next story, and indirectly influences much of the narrative of the story at large.

It's like a story told via kaleidoscope. You could read each story on its own, but the real narrative is in the space between all the stories. I've heard 死んでいない者 described as a depicting the "outwards-facing roles" we play, social masks and what not... but I can't help but feel like this book illustrates that concept much more concretely. Throwaway characters in one story ends up as the MC in another. Situations play out from one perspective, then another, and then a third. It's pretty thrilling, even if it can get a bit tiresome.

One final note... the book plays a bit with the idea of meta-texts, with stories told in the story, and the border between the two. At least one story returns *as a story* - as a book which is written and read over the course of the other stories. The nature of the story we just read is called into question. Did we just read "fictional fiction" or "real fiction"? Was our version of the text the real, lived experience of a character, or is this text just the book on the shelf of the Dolphin Resort? Some lovely confusion.

All in all - surprisingly easy to read despite my limited ability, very engaging, maybe a bit too dramatic at points, and despite my thinking it was a horror story, it's probably more sad than scary (I've heard the word "unsettling" used too, and it's that, too). Looking forward to reading more of 小川洋子!

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julies-butterflies · 3 years

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Honestly, your writing reminds me a lot of the buffyverse. Just the perfect balance of humor and sadness and romance and heart that just feels like a vivid window into the world you've created.

God the Body...the best forty minutes of television I may never watch again. I've rewatched Willow and Tara's kiss (because I'll adore them forever), but just...the weight of it. It took me a full month to work up the nerve to watch the episode, to be ready to cry that much.

What you said about not wanting people to suffer, because of your work...It's never once felt like that for me. And I've cried a LOT while reading your work. I'll try to explain it the best I can

Grief can be so isolating, and disorienting. Your world goes topsey-turvey, supports you took for granted go flying into the abyss and suddenly it's a minefield of those glass shards. And no one's grief is identical. No two circumstances are the same. It's not possible for anyone else to know exactly how you feel, because no two hearts break alike.

Sometimes, it's because people just don't understand. Sometime's it's because they no longer want to. But some days, that feeling of aloneness can be crushing.

Then one night, I stumbled upon Let These Shadows Fall Away Like Dust. That one hit me way harder than I was ever expecting. The question of how to grieve the living, the dilemma on when forgiveness is deserved...Alex's anger, his devestation, the rawness of it all....That's my broken glass. Those are concepts I've been struggling for over a year. I'm still picking up pieces every day.

I sobbed, because it was such a relief. To see the feelings that had been scrambled up in my mind just reflected there, on my screen. The reminder I had desperately needed, that I was not alone. That even though my circumstances were different, I was not the only one trying to unravel those messy emotions.

Then again, I also read your deathfic for fun, so maybe I'm not the best judge of this. I tend to like angst. I tend to get a lot of "WHY WOULD YOU MAKE IT THAT SAD" in group chats :D

Please don't feel any pressure to respond to me quickly or anything. I never mind the wait. I'm so sorry for the rough times. Wishing that you and your family gets whatever you need to help ease your storm. Sending love and support as well.

(sorry for all the metaphors. I'm super sleepy and apparently, I resort to purple prose when tired lol)

I know exactly what you mean about Emily. I understand why people don't like her, but I just love to see her written as such a grey character. It's just so much more powerful when the love is so clearly there.

I mean, that's what a tragedy is, really. Love cut short. Grieving a future that could have been everything, if fate had not been cruel. I don't know if you know musical theater, but I like to think about the Barber and His Wife, from Sweeney Todd: the whole tragedy of that show, is that they were happy all together, and then permanently broken. How their paths keep crossing, but they never connect to heal. Never lost, but never found.

And that's the tragedy of Luke and Emily: too stubborn and too late. You find that grey area, the messiness so well, and just bring it all out so wonderfully. You do the same with Bobby/Trevor, ESPECIALLY in the horror and the wild. God, that absolutely devestated me. I'm not a big fan of horror in general, and I haven't explored the genre that much but...if all horror is like yours then DAMN, I might just have to become a fan.

This got super long (lol) so I'll wrap it up now but! THE SIC FIC QUEENS TOGETHER???? When I tell you I lost it.... all too well Bobby and what you've lost reggie in the same story are killing me. I am hooked and incredibly hyped. Loved both updates so far, and cannot wait to see where the story goes!

Oh yeah and I forget: I have to ask, do you have a fan cast of the one, the only, the incredible Keith Richards? (and that goblin is so cute!!! I really want to pet the blood thirsty monster. So badly)

Love, your totally-not-undead-pen-pal, :D

-Vampire Anon

Know musicals? Vampire Anon my beloved, I am a musical theatre bitch. Take a look at my high school graduation cap! (Anastasia is my favorite musical... something about the themes of home, love, and family, the idea of always finding a place in the world even after enduring incredible hardship, that anything is survivable with faith and love in your heart... I'm also a Romanov history bitch, and Christy Altomare is such an incredible talent and human being.) Literally, talk to me about musicals anytime!

And yeah, I definitely see your metaphor... the tragedy of The Barber and his Wife was how close they came to each other throughout the whole show, existing within reach the entire time, after being separated for so long. But it wasn't the same; it never could be. Time and trauma had changed them both into something unrecognizeable, and when they came face-to-face, they could only hurt each other. At a certain point, the ghosts of your past are meant to stay ghosts. Sure, you might want them back more than anything --- but what would it mean? What would you truly be getting back?

Luke's "back", of course, and he comes home to visit his parents multiple times... but they're not the same people he left. They're older, greyer, changed by grief... while he's just the same. A snapshot forever frozen in time, a memory crystalized in amber. You can't hold memories in your hands. You can't pull them close and refuse to let them go. Eventually, they'll slip away... and to Mitch and Emily, a memory is all their son is, now. That's what's so heartrending about the situation we see in the show, especially --- so much love still exists between all of them, but it has no place to go.

Okay, sorry, it's 3am here and I'm rambling too, haha --- mentioning musical theatre was a mistake.

I'm so glad my stories have been able to connect with you, especially 'shadows' --- that one resonated with a lot of people, more than I ever realized it would. It's not the most personal story to me... but definitely one that needed to be told, and the emotion in it... hits home for a lot of people. It means so much to me knowing that story, and Alex's internal struggle, has made people feel less alone.

I think I'm going to have a hard time looking back on that one, though. We were staying at my aunt's house for the weekend where I wrote most of it; I read a few excerpts to her, and she said she liked it. She was always interested in my writing... I kind of wish I'd gotten the chance to share more of it with her.

Like you said. Grief's a funny thing. Disorienting, relentless, and crushing.

Please just remember, though --- whatever you're dealing with, you're not alone. You don't have to cut yourself on those broken pieces... one day, you'll wake up, and realize you feel whole again. It will never feel the same, and the pain will always be there... but healing around it is what makes us stronger. You don't owe anyone your forgiveness; it's okay to grieve when you've lost something, regardless of whether death has taken them from you. Grief doesn't have to be earned, it simply has to be felt.

You'll be stronger for it, in the end. I'm sorry you've been hurting so much.

Anyways! Oh gosh! On to lighter, happier topics! Please tell me...

What are your favorite fics? (Like, my fics, obviously, which fics of mine do you just go gaga over? Please praise me or else my ego will shrivel like a worm on hot pavement.) No, okay, I'm kidding --- what are your top fics for this fandom? Like, what are the ones that really resonate with you, that you could read over and over? The JATP fandom has so many greats, but I'm always drawn back to Some Killer Queen You Are by pearlcaddy (buffyverse meets jatp!! iconic!!), Lantern's Light by thefairhero (literally the SOFTEST reggie), the sky's not empty tonight by firefall (just... devastating and beautiful in a dozen ways), and literally anything by foundfamilyvevo.

How long have you been in the JATP fandom? Who are your favorite characters? What's your favorite JATP song?

And finally, most importantly... what are your favorite musicals?

(also... since u asked... behold keith richards and tremble)

#vampire anon my beloved #also... vampire anon... you're a writer #i can tell!! i can read it in your words #youre so eloquent and put things so beautifully #do you write fic?? have you posted any for jatp??

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dearartdirector · 4 years

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Dear AD, is there such a thing as "the artist's artist" or is it just poor marketing? I've noticed that in the illustration circles there are quite a few very talented and high regarded artists whose work is very respected and known to ADs and fellow professionals, and yet who still struggle to hit big time with the main stream audiences or even land projects. Could it be that at a certain level the work becomes too hard for the average viewer to consume?

This is a great question, actually, and the answer is yes, there are many artists who are fantastic and beloved by artists, but ADs have a hard time getting them approved for some projects. This comes up A LOT in book covers but is also common in any piece of art that is acting as advertising (which is a hell of a lot of commercial illustration projects, but less so for concept art, which is used as a tool for other creatives. Gaming can be either side - is it an advertisement/feature piece for a game or an interior illo or card in a set?).

There’s 2 components to every project: Content and Style, and how they affect your Target Audience.

Content means what is this thing/story/product about. Usually we’re talking tropes or “genre checkpoints”. If it’s epic fantasy, there’s a sword & a guy in a cloak. If it’s women’s fiction, a beach and a woman in a dress. And so on. Style is what the art looks like, and when we talk about style in terms of a target audience, either it is a common style for that target audience that will be recognizable OR whether it is a brand new look that the target audience might not recognize. Obviously a big part of an AD’s job is knowing both the genre checkpoints for whatever they’re working on but also the style trends that are popular.

Here’s the key: you can only move ahead on one side at a time. Either you can have a fresh new (unrecognizable) style but have very obvious genre checkpoints OR not have any of the usual genre checkpoints but have a very recognizable style. There are times you really decide to play it safe and do genre checkpoints AND recognizable style, and there’s all kinds of reasons you’d choose to do that, but yea, it can be boring.

If you have a new style and don’t have genre checkpoints, then you’d better have an established fanbase already. In a book publishing space, that would mean a reissue of a famous book, or a new book by an already famous author. That’s why Penguin Classics and Folio Society can get away with reissuing classic books (which already have a huge fanbase) with really cutting-edge art.

The artists you’re describing are artists that have a new style. Artists recognize this and love it. Skill! Originality! Drool! However, most buyers are not looking for GORGEOUS, they’re looking for FAMILIARITY. Sure, will they appreciate beautiful art? Yes, but only if it first catches their eye as something like something they already know they like. The artists that have a fresh new style must be used to illustrate things that have really clear genre checkpoints until their style of art is seen around enough that they’re adopted as recognizable by the target audience. A good AD will know this, and will only pitch those artists for projects with clear genre checkpoints. But that can still be a really hard sell to approvers above the AD (remember, ADs control the choices, steer the direction of visuals, but don’t have the final approval). What helps an AD get an artist with an original style on a job is if that artist has samples in their portfolio that really hit the genre checkpoints of the field they’re looking to work in.

A great example of this process over time is an artist like Richard Anderson.

Richard was a concept artist for years, mostly on Guild Wars. Guild Wars has a LOT of genre checkpoint and target audience overlap with adventure fantasy books. Lots of roughly medieval age characters holding swords.

ADs in SFF publishing noticed this and said oh thank god, here’s someone doing the same thing that we are constantly asked to put on covers in a new & interesting way. Let’s hire him to do covers!

Then, once SFF book fans started recognizing his style as denoting a book they enjoy reading, you could get a little further afield. Now, given that the STYLE is recognizable, you can get a little crazier with CONTENT that isn’t usually seen on fantasy books, like hippos and dinosaurs:

Now Richard’s style is completely embedded in the target audience (it also doesn't hurt that he keeps doing amazing concept art for the movies that the same fans love) and if an editors wants art to do something in a new and fresh style, you actually can’t use Richard, his style is too well known and on too many books. This is the stage at which an artist is still getting a ton of work, but should also be thinking of pushing his style further, so he’s staying relevant. Richard does that and is constantly showing sketches and experiments on his instagram.

That was a long answer but hopefully you get the idea. I don’t think it’s a curse to be an “artist’s artist” — far from it, it means you’re doing a lot right! — But you may have to do a little help in your samples to make sure you're helping the ADs sell you to their approvers, by showing how your art can be used to what they make.

—Agent KillFee

#agentkillfee #dearad #dearartdirector #publishing #targetaudience #artistsartist #style #content #genrecheckpoints

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