Let's Call It An Asian Day

The sets are glassy,
the water a tepid 86 or better,

and we have


1 maxim and 5 haikus, courtesy of Issa

let us not forget the Lilliput Review Archive

and one of Kenzaburo Oe's triumphs

Of this last, one is tempted, knowing of Oe-san's own life to call it autobiographical--but I think better would be speculative autobiography or projected autobiography. 

One is instructed well by listening to the piano compositions of Oe-san's remarkable son Hikari  and here and here

Excerpt:

Oe's novels gained new vitality as he attempted to give voice to his son who never learned to speak beyond a few limited words. The father spoke of his personal challenges saying that while that living with a child with a disability brought suffering to him, his son taught him invaluable lessons, and gradually the "burden" became a gift. The son gave meaning to the father's life. Kenzuburo Oe went on to reach the pinnacle of his profession and credits his son for this achievement. But that is not why Oe stopped writing novels. It seems his son has found his own voice. At age six, Kenzuburo Oe's son spoke his first word, identifying the call of a bird. At 32, Hikari still speaks only a few words, and still is severely disabled. Hikari, however, has learned to express himself through music. Hikari won his own prize last year. A CD of music composed by Hikari Oe won Japan's top prize for Classical Japanese music. Not bad for a "vegetable." 

"Hikari Finds His Voice" Produced by Compassionate Healthcare Network (CHN) - July 1995

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