by Rebecca Copeland | May 13, 2026 | Memories
Ron perched on the edge of the desk. He held a book of poems in one hand, a cigarette in the other. “We’ll work on Japanese forms today,” he said. “The tanka. Show me what you’ve got.” Over the weekend he had assigned Kenneth Rexroth’s One Hundred Poems from the... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Sep 24, 2025 | Japanese Culture
Novels with clear social messages never fail to incite debate in my Japanese literature courses. They push readers to care, to take a point of view, and to act. Literary works by Ariyoshi Sawako (1931-1984) are a case in point. The Doctor’s Wife (1966), for one,... 
by Rebecca Copeland | May 7, 2025 | Memories
“I don’t understand,” I said, as I read the letter a second time. It was short, barely two paragraphs. “We don’t understand, either,” Peter, the chair of my department, said as he turned to close the door to my office. The room was small and with all my books,... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Jan 29, 2025 | Memories
“I’ll let you in on a secret,” Dennis said, his eyes sparkling. We’d been talking about teaching. I’d only been in my post at International Christian University for a year, and I lacked confidence. I’d prepare my lecture for hours on end, and then the day of my class,... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Dec 18, 2024 | Memories
I hadn’t expected him to order coffee. No one ever did. I’d been working the midday shift at Charlie Goodnights for a week by then. In fact, hardly anyone bothered to stop by the bar on Hillsborough Street before 7:00 pm. My shift ended at 8:00. Mostly I spent my time...
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