Noh Drama (Japanese Theater, Part I)

Noh is traditional Japanese drama, first performed in the 14th century. All the roles are performed by male actors, with masks and elaborate costumes. A classical Noh presentation lasts all day, with 5 plays interspersed with shorter works.

A performance consists of the orchestra, actors and chorus. The main character is called the shite, who usually has a friend or companion called the shitetsure. The waki is the antagonist (if the waki has an assistant, that person is called the wakitsure). The shite is usually the only one who wears a mask, although the other actors might do so for female and/or mystical characters. All use their body language and mannerisms to convey their characters

The chorus (4-8 people) is called the jiutai, and the orchestra is called the hayashi. They usually wear formal black kimonos, emblazoned with family crests.

Unlike Western dramas, the background scenery is kept to a minimum, except for a narrow bridge on stage right, where the actors arrive and leave (called the hashigakari). Even the stagehands (dressed in simple black) remain on the stage in full view of the audience and sometimes even become part of the action!

The stage itself is polished Japanese cypress wood, so the actors glide in highly stylized dances and chant their songs.(5-7-5 waka poetry, mentioned here and here). The cypress wood conducts sound throughout the stage, which is the main reason why the builders usually raise the stage 3 feet above the ground.

A list of traditional Noh plays can be found here and for more information, The Tuttle Version of Noh Plays of Japan by Arthur Waley is a good source.





All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Renga, (aka Collaborative Poetry), Japanese literature Part II

Renga, or "collaborative poetry", is a form of Japanese poetry that uses the tanka form (syllables of 5-7-5-7-7, see this entry for more information on tanka). One of the most famous renga poets was Matsuo Basho (1644-1694). Although a single person can write a renga, three or four people are considered the minimum number for a group. If you can find more people to join, the more the better!

Here's the basic set-up for a group:

1) A person (usually the honored guest) is chosen for the first stanza, or hokku.  The form of the stanza is 5-7-5 syllables. It should have a kigo (a seasonal word, like "spring", "summer", "winter", etc.) and a keireiji (a line break) within it somewhere.

2) The next person does the second stanza (the waki), which is the 7-7 part. The person who organized the party is usually the one who does it.

3) The third person continues with another 5-7-5 verse, the fourth with another 7-7, and so on.

4) It goes on until it reaches the predetermined number of stanzas (12, 36, 100 or even 1000). The person with the last verse (called the ageku) should refer back to the hokku in some way, shape or form.

A renga doesn't have to follow a specific chronological order, so it's not like a round-robin story, where each person has to build on what has been written before. It can be confusing for Westerners who are used to a rigid time order. The length of a renga varies from 1000 (senku) to 12 (Junicho) verses.

One of the most popular forms is the kasen, which is 36 stanzas long. This one is supposed to mention flowers (like cherry blossoms) twice and the moon three times. The hokku usually reflects the atmosphere of the group at the time of the party, the middle (verses 7-29) is more relaxed and free-form, while the end is the last 6 verses.  The agaku should refer back to the first stanza  and take it full circle.

This can be a challenging game, but is well worth it! Grab your friends and try a renga.





All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Tanka Poetry (Japanese literature, part I)

Tanka is a form of poetry that has its origins in Japan's Heian period (c. 1100 AD). It's a subgenre of Japanese classical poetry, called waka. Sometimes whole collections of Japanese poetry is written in this style, including the Tales of Ise and the Tales of Yamato.

The syllable pattern of tanka is 5-7-5-7-7 per line, no matter which language. The first part (5-7-5) is called the kami-no-ku, or "upper phrase", while the second part (7-7) is called the shimo-no-ku, or "lower phrase". If the kami-no-ku looks familiar, it's the same pattern as the well-known haiku.

Many poets use wordplay and puns in their tanka, and some verses are difficult to understand without knowing about the cultural issues of the time. Two Heian-era pieces that use tanka are The Tales of Genji by Lady Murasaki and The Pillow Book by Sei Shonogon.

Here's an example of tanka in English:

Where is the small cat? (5)
He is not hiding out there. (7)
He is not inside. (5)
We will have to search for him. (7)
Ah! A tail is sticking out! (7)

Here's another one (for baseball fans)

Pat the Bat asks you: (5)
What can I wear for tonight (7)
for a big party? (5)
Catcher's mitt, cleats, and billed cap: (7)
It's time for the World Series! (7)

Challenge: Write your own tanka!

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Thoughts on my Daughter's Birthday...

Today, my Baby Girl turns two years old. I can hardly believe it. Where did the time go?

It sounds pretty cliche, but I look at my kids and I think, Time goes way too fast. I remember Sarah as a newborn, and when she learned to crawl and walk. I remember when she first said "Mama" and "Dada". I remember the fear that went through me and hoping that she would be "normal". Sarah was an "Oops!" baby in every sense of the word. I found out I was having her when I was 16 weeks pregnant, sick with pneumonia in the hospital, and terrified of how the rheumatoid arthritis meds I was taking at the time would affect her.

I think my obstetrician nearly fainted when he found out. Doctors usually give that particular med to cancer patients, to suppress their immune system for chemotherapy. My rheumatologist was just baffled...pregnancy just WAS NOT POSSIBLE with this med.

Like I said, major OOPS!

But life has a funny way of balancing things out in the end, I think.

Sarah loves Legos, Wedgits and building blocks. She watches the Wiggles and Thomas the Train. Whenever we go to the toy store, she goes straight for the cars and trucks and ignores the dolls. She has no fear of the big slide on the playground and could spend hours in the sandbox if I let her. She shows her dad's aptitude for building and solving puzzles, but carries around a stuffed yellow lab puppy dog. Her favorite word is the toddler favorite, "No!" Figures. But I don't mind. Her two older siblings are non-verbal autistic, so every new word she says is an exciting gift.

Happy birthday, Sarah. Mum loves you.

Minutes after her arrival

Is she winking at us?

10/5/2008

 Sarah in Sandbox, 

Labor Day Weekend 2010

Virginia Beach, VA

Sarah and her cousin Chase, being cute in the sandbox

Labor Day Weekend 2010

Virginia Beach, VA

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Sei Shonagon and Pillow Books

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

A Riddle of Life...

Here's a riddle:


85% of fifth graders solved this riddle in five minutes or less, but only 7% of Stanford grads solved it at all.

What is greater than God but less than the Devil
             poor people have in abundance, but
             rich people need more of it,
             and if you eat it, you'll die.

The answer: Nothing.

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Writing Exercise: Sentence Beginnings

Directions: Take the beginning of one sentence and think of as many ways to complete it.

He opened the door into the courtyard.
He opened the heavy safe- deposit box.
He opened the book and began to read.
He opened the hatch to the submarine.

She walked into a barfight.
She walked into a patch of moonlight.
She walked headlong into busy New York traffic.
She walked along the path through Hyde Park.

The children discovered a snake under a rock.
The children discovered a gold ring in the treasure chest.
The children discovered boxes of model train pieces.
The children discovered his stamp collection.

What if I said to you, "How is your sex life?"
What if I said to you, "You can drive a car, but you can't put wheels on it?"
What if I said to you, "Keep it safe for me?"
What if I said to you, "Turn left at the next intersection?"

We aren't sure if this is even possible.
We aren't sure if he'll pick up the phone.
We aren't sure how long it'll take.
We aren't sure what kind of batteries that needs.

A man waved me over.
A man picked out a present for his wife.
A man danced around the salon.
A man pulled out a gun.

A woman glided across the floor.
A woman tap-danced to the beat.
A woman whizzed by us on skis.
A woman carried her child up the stairs.

The large horse cleared the gate.
The large cake fell off its pedestal.
The large elephant sat on the car.
The large truck rumbled past early this morning.

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010