A Japanese "pillow book" is a collection of observations, notes and lists, which paint a picture of someone's life at a particular moment. It first became popular during the Heian period of Japan (from about 794-1192 AD) when the women of the court jotted down their thoughts at the spur of the moment. They used scraps of paper under their pillows, hence the name "pillow book". Some of the books were used in romantic rendezvous, rather like the Indian Kama Sutra, but not all of them were so explicit in their content.
A Heian courtesan named Sei Shonagon penned the most famous Pillow Book. No one knows her exact identity, but her observations span a period of ten years. They include anecdotes about the court, her personal opinions, and one hundred and sixty four lists. Some of those lists have mundane titles like "Distressing Things" and "Elegant Things", but they reveal details about Sei and the day-to-day doings of her contemporaries.
Sei's final entry in her book is as follows:
"I set about filling the notebooks with odd facts, stories from the past, and all sorts of other things, often including the most trivial material. On the whole I concentrated on things and people that I found charming and splendid: my notes are full of poems and observations on trees, plants, birds and insects. I was sure that when people saw my books they would say, 'It's even worse than I expected. Now one can tell what she's really like." After all, it is written entirely for my own amusement and I put things down exactly as they come to me." (as quoted from A Collection of Beauties at their Height of their Popularity by Whitney Otto)
She wrote to please herself, not the critics and included what she thought was important at the time. This form of writing is called "zuihitsu" or "following the brush", since the writers simply take down what inspires them at that particular moment. A form of free-write, so to speak.
Unfortunately, Sei's final fate is unknown. Her empress, Teishi, was banished from the court by Teishi's uncle, and Sei was forced to leave with her mistress. Teishi later died in childbirth, but there is no other record of Sei's life after that.
Yet her Pillow Book remains as a historical document as well as valuable insight into the mind of a Japanese courtesan from over a thousand years in the past. Her words remain.
All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010
Showing posts with label observation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label observation. Show all posts
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
I write.
I write.
Yup, that's what I do for a living. I take whatever's in my head and put it on paper. Sometimes, I visit new worlds and drop by old ones. Ideas tend to flit through my brain and I need to capture them before I lose them. I try not to worry about whether or not they're publishable, not a first. The process is what's important. Many people don't understand my obsession. It's more than a pleasant habit; it's more like breathing. It's necessary. It's hard to explain to someone who doesn't understand. My words run on the paper without end and my voice can't be silent.
I spy.
I watch people under lowered lids. The woman next to me is wearing a dark shirt with jeans, her blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. She's studying something. Another man behind me is wearing gray shorts and is paging through a newspaper.
No, I'm not with the CIA, FBI, DEA, MI5, NCIS, Interpol or any mishmash of alphabet soup. I like to observe people from afar, their appearances and attitudes. You ca tell a lot about a person without their saying a single word. Are they dedicated? Young or old? Happy or angry at the world? What kind of personality do they show? Their likes or dislikes? The human body betrays every nuance. It cannot hide the truth.
I create.
I do it through words, notes and pictures. No one can tell me it's worthless. Every idea is worth pursuing. So what if it turns out nowhere? Like Edison, you know what doesn't work so you can find out what does.
People come alive and thoughts are brought into being. They exist in limbo until someone breathes substance into them. As a creator, it's my job---like being a midwife and seeing children born into your hands.
All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010
Yup, that's what I do for a living. I take whatever's in my head and put it on paper. Sometimes, I visit new worlds and drop by old ones. Ideas tend to flit through my brain and I need to capture them before I lose them. I try not to worry about whether or not they're publishable, not a first. The process is what's important. Many people don't understand my obsession. It's more than a pleasant habit; it's more like breathing. It's necessary. It's hard to explain to someone who doesn't understand. My words run on the paper without end and my voice can't be silent.
I spy.
I watch people under lowered lids. The woman next to me is wearing a dark shirt with jeans, her blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. She's studying something. Another man behind me is wearing gray shorts and is paging through a newspaper.
No, I'm not with the CIA, FBI, DEA, MI5, NCIS, Interpol or any mishmash of alphabet soup. I like to observe people from afar, their appearances and attitudes. You ca tell a lot about a person without their saying a single word. Are they dedicated? Young or old? Happy or angry at the world? What kind of personality do they show? Their likes or dislikes? The human body betrays every nuance. It cannot hide the truth.
I create.
I do it through words, notes and pictures. No one can tell me it's worthless. Every idea is worth pursuing. So what if it turns out nowhere? Like Edison, you know what doesn't work so you can find out what does.
People come alive and thoughts are brought into being. They exist in limbo until someone breathes substance into them. As a creator, it's my job---like being a midwife and seeing children born into your hands.
All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010
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