The latest issue of Kyoto Journal includes my review of Christine Flint Sato's Sumi Workbook. Christine Flint Sato’s Sumi Workbook presents a complete introductory course for amateur or professional artists who would like to try the traditional brushed ink arts of East Asia. Sumi, a black ink made of soot and animal glue, is the essential medium for the arts of calligraphy and … [Read more...]
Perks!
Did I mention that there are perks for contributing to the Fresh Currents campaign fund? There are perks for contributing to the Fresh Currents campaign fund. For a $10 donation - you get your name on the Fresh Currents website, our undying gratitude & an enormous feeling of wellbeing. For $25 - all of the above & your name listed in the book + a free digital issue … [Read more...]
Three Wise Men
I can't tell you what we were plotting together last night - not just yet - but I can say that you couldn't ask for more stimulating company or conversation. And the restaurant, Istanbul Saray, was wonderful too, with absolutely gorgeous Turkish food, wine and beer! I shall definitely be going back there with Mewby and giving you a proper report in the future! … [Read more...]
John Brandi & Renée Gregorio – The Shorter Poems
Last weekend I attended a Kyoto Journal sponsored poetry reading with John Brandi and Renée Gregorio. It was a super cosy affair in the wonderful Kyoto Nama Chocolate organic teahouse, with lots of good conversation and poetic inspiration! Many thanks also to the hosts for the fantastic cakes and chocolate! Stewart Wachs promises to have a full video of the event (including … [Read more...]
COP10 – History is Made!
Kyoto Journal contributor W. David Kubiak says... I imagine many of you have already heard, but COP10 managed a partial birth at 1:30 AM last night (Friday). Short of perfection no doubt, but the oceans were big winners with a new protected zone target of 10% and traditional knowledge getting formal recognition and a promise of biopiracy compensatory rights... ...the … [Read more...]
The People I Met at COP10
OK, so I didn't actually meet Harrison Ford, as I wasn't there on Thursday but if you look real close you can see that what he is looking at on the inside cover of Kyoto Journal #75 is a flyer for the Stop Kyoto Aquarium campaign that I had slotted in the previous weekend. And that makes me happy. Now if he actually signed the petition - that would be something! I spent … [Read more...]
Kyoto Journal #75: “Biodiversity” – Essential Reading for COP10
In a few hours I'll be dragging myself out of bed at an impossibly early hour and jumping on a bullet train to Nagoya. There I'll be helping to represent Kyoto Journal at the UN Convention on Biodiversity (COP10) and while I'm about it I'll also handing out some flyers and seeking out and engaging like minded souls for our anti-aquarium campaign here in Kyoto. At COP10 I'll … [Read more...]
Kyoto Journal #75: “Biodiversity” is out now!
Great news from the folks at Kyoto Journal: Issue 75 - Biodiversity is out! This edition was specially prepared for distribution this autumn at COP10 in Nagoya, the UN’s 10th Conference of Parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD). Look at that cover! Just look at it! How could you not want to own a copy of that? And I have to say that having a trailer for this … [Read more...]
The Photographs of Ken Rodgers
This is the third in an occasional series of profiles of Kyoto-based photographers. Each photographer chooses five of their favorite pictures from around Kyoto and tells us a little about what those pictures mean to them. Previously, we have featured Kyoto Journal's founder editor John Einarsen and associate editor Stewart Wachs. This time it's the turn of KJ's managing editor … [Read more...]
The Photographs of Stewart Wachs
This is the second in an occasional series of profiles of Kyoto-based photographers. Each photographer will choose five of their favorite pictures from around Kyoto and tell us a little about what those pictures mean to them. Last week we featured Kyoto Journal's founder editor John Einarsen. This week's photographer is KJ's associate editor Stewart Wachs. Stewart … [Read more...]
The Photographs of John Einarsen
This is the first in a new, occasional series of profiles of Kyoto-based photographers. Each photographer will choose five of their favorite pictures from around Kyoto and tell us a little about what those pictures mean to them. To start us off, Kyoto Journal's John Einarsen was kind enough to send me some wonderful black and white images of Shinnyodo; a temple complex on Mount … [Read more...]
C. W. Nicol at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies
A personal response to the lecture "Planting Trees in Your Heart" This is how trees got planted in my heart. My father's hobby was gardening. We had a very nice garden, with a big central lawn you could lie on in the summer, a vegetable patch at the back, fruit trees and flowers aplenty. As a child, I used to spend a lot of time with my dad when he was working in the garden, … [Read more...]
Kyoto Journal #74 “The Silk Roads” Sneak Preview – Part 3!!!
Here's this week's exclusive sneak preview from the up-coming Kyoto Journal #74 - "The Silk Roads" - due out this June! The Hollow Staff ― Western Music and the Silk Road, by Paul Rodriguez “The secret of the Silk Road came to the West in a hollow staff,” says the historian, thinking of silkworms. The musician nods, thinking of a different staff and a different … [Read more...]
Kyoto Journal #74 Sneak Preview – Part 2!!
Here is the second in an ongoing series of previews of Kyoto Journal #74 "The Silk Roads". You can see the previous installment here. In addition to working round the clock to get this edition out by June, the KJ team of saints and angels are also working on issue #75 due out this September. The topic is Biodiversity, and a meeting earlier this week to discuss it generated a … [Read more...]
