In the Beginning There Were Pigeons

In the Beginning There Were Pigeons

by | Mar 15, 2023 | Mystery Fiction

“In all things, it is the beginnings and the endings that are the most interesting.” Or, so wrote Japan’s famed medieval poet-monk Yoshida Kenkō (1283–1350). Kenkō illustrated this bit of aesthetic wisdom with advice on how to appreciate a romantic affair. The...
Messengers of Imagination

Messengers of Imagination

by | May 26, 2021 | Mystery Fiction

In Japan, many consider birds messengers of the gods. They fly between the world of the living and the heavens, carrying our prayers and dreams on their wings.  The entrance to a Shinto shrine is marked by a large gate known as a torii, which literally translates...
Beginning at the Beginning

Beginning at the Beginning

by | May 5, 2021 | Mystery Fiction

It starts with birds. I wasn’t sure how to begin at first.  I sat at the oilcloth-covered table in the cabin, gazing out over the porch, thinking back to Kyoto.  I had already decided to set my novel in Kyoto.  In order to write about Kyoto, I had to...