Friday, July 20, 2007

Osamu Dazai Day



I am sort of in this reflective bad mood thing, and when I get myself in this weird void feeling I start to write short stories. Mostly humorous, why? Basically I write for two reasons.

1) Because someone asks or makes a request for me to it. For instance if I have do an event or a reading in front of a crowd I like to do something original and new.

2) The need to work something out in my system, and therefore make it entertaining. To me that's the art of the work or the writing.

One of my all-time favorite writers Osamu Dazai had a rather bleak tragic life, yet when he wrote stories based on his experiences, he somehow twisted the facts to make these incredible charming and sometimes-funny stories. Whenever I put a pencil on paper, I think of Dazai.



Some years ago I went to his living quarters outside of Tokyo. It was there that he wrote many of his short stories. It was probably the most expensive taxi drive ever for me, but it was worth it just to be in a room that the great Japanese author touched. Outside his studio there was a little gift shop that sold a bumper sticker that said "Osamu Dazai." I have it somewhere in my studio.





This is one of my all-time favorite books. Of course, it's out of print.

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