Rebecca’s Reflections
Backing into a Story—an Encounter with “The Bleaks”
Never having written a mystery novel, or any novel, I didn’t know where to start. A man I had been dating—an architect and not a writer—told me to write the backstories to my characters. It was great advice! And so I spent the early days of my writer’s...
Equalizing Fear
Friday, October 5, 2012 The fifth day of my writer’s retreat. I’ve cleaned the cabin thoroughly now, disposing of the mice nests, the ruined clothes, my father’s hats, and my mother’s toiletries. I need to take one more run to the recycling center to get rid of...
On Collecting Kimono
Earlier this summer John Moore, a member of the Communications Office at Washington University, interviewed me about The Kimono Tattoo. The editor wanted a photograph of me with “my kimono collection.” I recognize that I have A LOT of kimonos, but I had never thought...
Finding the Mountain Witch
Last week saw the release of Yamamba: In Search of the Japanese Mountain Witch, which I coedited with Linda C. Ehrlich.. This unique collection, published by Stone Bridge Press, has received stunning acclaim from scholars and artists alike. For example, Kristen...
Kismet, Witchy Women, and Feminist Friendships
BOOK RELEASE I catch sight of her sometimes, the yamamba or mountain witch. Now and then I’ll find her staring back at me from the corner of the mirror or racing ahead of me on the darkened street. She’s fearless and almost always laughing. Not that big...
Next Stop, Japan Station
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of speaking with Tony Vega about The Kimono Tattoo. Tony runs the podcast JapanKyo, which features news clips from Japanese media in addition to stories about Japan. Tony hopes his podcast will provide a trusted conduit...