Barry Yourgrau

J-BARRY my japanese doings

Recent doings on my Japanese cell-phone writing front. The format is finally starting to attract attention here in U.S.

I did a fine extensive interview with The Millions blog, which was followed by an insightful piece about the interview in Future of the Book.

These arose from my essay about cell-phone writing for No.1 Shimbun, which prompted an interview on NPR's Bryant Park Project.

It all started with an evening of me reading cell-phone stories at new Kinokuniya Bookstore in New York.

Hello Tokyo in November

I'll be in Tokyo Nov.6-14, among other things (such as eat, drink, gawk) doing a reading with my esteemed translator, Prof Moto Shibata. It will be at Kinokuniya Hall in Shinjuku, Nov.10 at 2PM. If you're in town, why come on by.

A World Cup Memory

Here's a slice of my Spain-centric nostalgia from the World Cup. It's from a post that ran in June on Huffingtonpost.com

"Arriba Espana!!

Today against Ukraine in the stunning heat, Spain stunned. That's the best I've ever seen them. I'll bet the best anyone's ever seen them. A thrilling team today, all gears meshing. Imagine saying that about Spain, who's existential errand seems to overturn in a ditch and crush Spanish hearts. David Villa, wisely up front in place of feeble national mascot, Raul, was a terrific pacy threat. El Nino, Fernando Torres, whom I've watched live twice, showed how he can thrill: he gallops like a racehorse, long strides eating up the turf. He teamed up with the great-hearted Barcelona defensive lion Carles Puyol on a truly gorgeous goal: Puyol got the ball, crashed through a tackle by spinning about off-kilter, tottered on, passed the ball, kept on tottering and lumbering forward, got the ball back in the air and placed a soft header onto the grass for El Nino to gallop onto and hammer home. Yow, instant highlight classic.

The only mar on the game was the preposterous pseudo-penalty called on the poor dumbstruck heatstruck Ukrainians.

But the real personal thrill for me? I have had drinks with the scorer of this World Cup game's first goal.

It happened a couple years ago, in the Basque restaurant kitchen of Juan Mari Arzak, dean of Spain's great chefs. My girlfriend Anya is a food writer who writes much about Spain and its culinary glories; we know Juan Mari and his chef daughter, Elena, well. We called in at the restaurant late, for a drink with Juan Mari, and were ushered into the kitchen, with a whisper in the ear, "Some soccer players are there with him!"

Soccer is a big deal in Basque Country, as sport and food were really the only means for Basque identity to express itself during Franco times.

There sucking down gin-tonics at the chef's table were the great twinkle-eyed chef and two Real Sociedad players: a wily looking veteran defender introduced as Aitor. And a young blond good-looking kid named Xabi Alonso, whose name I recognized vaguely from the sports papers. I sensed the air of stardom. "Hi," I said, bright and innocent,"I know your name. What position again do you play?" Xabi, one of the great celebrities of Basque football, flinched ever so slightly and informed me he was a midfielder. I chatted on brightly about the upcoming game against Real Madrid ("Boy, must be a challenge, out there with Raul and Roberto Carlos and all!" says I. Xabi shrugged.)

That's most of what I recall, other than the players and their flashy young girlfriends/wives guzzling gin-tonics, which the Basques like to drink from glasses big as punchbowls. Anya and I left, but apparently things went on til almost dawn (Arzak is a legendary soldier of the night). The young folks didn't carry their liquor so well, falling down on the steps or getting sick, I was told.

Anyway, Xabi shortly went on to Liverpool, where Anya and I would point to him on TV and cry, "Look! There's a big time soccer player we know! Our Xabi!"

And now our man Xabi has scored at the World Cup. I got a signed Real Sociedad team shirt after the meeting at Arzak's. From number fourteen: Aitor.

Normally, judging from taxi drivers, the Basques could care less about the fate of the Spanish national team. I bet they're honking their horns tonight.

Torres plays for Atletico de Madrid, the lesser of Madrid's teams, the "socialist," working class team. They too are heartache machines usually. Their fans' desperate cry of devotion, roared out by the teeming thousands at their stadium, El Calderon, is "Atleti--hasta la muerte!" "Until death..." snicker Real Madrid fans, rolling their eyes at the poignancy of it all."

And now, here the night before the World Cu final, with Spain long gone home...oh, the poignancy indeed...

School Days

One of the new aspects to writing for kids ala NASTYbook is doing readings at schools. I've been used to performing live in clubs and arty spaces--not, ahem, in school auditoriums and classrooms. But then I went on book tour in the spring.

My baptism of fire came in front of 200 7th graders (!) in Naperville, Illinois, outside Chicago. I finished up, wildly, with my monster tale about the boy who likes to pick his nose. (Try that in an auditorium's worth of pubescents). It was fun--fun and a half. That same day I read to yet 100 more 7th graders. Then on to school kids in San Francisco and LA. Next month I'll be at PS 145 in Queens here in New York.

It's a circuit I want to develop much. I love it. At a school in LA, I explained that for NASTYbook I wanted to write fairytale-like stories that, instead of always turning out for the best, always relentlessly and horribly turned out for the worst. Whereupon a kid with a thoughtful puzzled look stuck up his hand and asked: "You mean, just like regular life?" So young, so wise...

Japanese Connection

My wonderful Japanese translator and friend, Moto Shibata from Tokyo University, was in Cambridge Mass for the fall (with his wife Hitomi). We did a couple of lovely readings together. The first, in Cambridge in October, also featured Kelly Link, another "Moto author," at estimable Porter Sq Bookstore. A wonderful evening. A highlight was Moto and I reading in alternating languages a Cell Phone story. Second evening took place here in New York at Kinokuniya Bookstore. Even the bookstore manager, Mr. Ichihashi, read a story aloud, from a Moto translation! I'll post a pic when I figure out the upload mechanics here.

I was in Tokyo in 2003, and cannot wait to go back.

NASTYbook National Spring Tour

May 10 Tues. 5:30-7pm Books of Wonder, New York NY

May 11 Wed. 10:30-12 The Bookstall@Chestnut Crt, Winnetka, IL

May 11 Wed 7-8:30pm Barnes & Noble (Orchard Ctr), Skokie, IL

May 12 Thurs. 7-8:30pm Anderson's Bookstore, Naperville, IL

May 13 Fri.6:30-8pm Wild Rumpus, Minneapolis, MN

May 14 Sat. 2-3pm The Red Balloon, St. Paul MN Paul, MN

May 15 Sun. 1-2:30pm Borders, Beaverton, OR

May 15 Sun.3-4:30pm Powell’s City of Books, Portland OR

May 17 Tues.1-2:30pm Borders, Pallyup, WA

May 17 Tues. 6-7:30pm Borders, (Redmond Town Cntr) Redmond, WA

May 18 Wed. 3-4:30pm Hickelbee's, San Jose, CA

May 19 Thurs. 7-8:30pm Cody’s Books/Fourth St., Berkeley, CA

May 20 Fri. 6-7:30pm Book People, Austin, TX

May 21 Sat. 4-5:30pm Borders, Thousand Oaks, CA

May 28 Sat. 5-6:30pm Skylight Books, Los Angeles, CA

June 1 Wed 7pm National Arts Club, New York NY

June 9 Thurs 4-5:30pm West Side Y Writers Voice Youth & Teen Reading Series, New York NY

New York NASTYbook Launches!

Two NASTYbook launch affairs in New York.

APRIL 26 Tues (the pub date!)- Brief reading & much carrying on at THE SLIPPER ROOM, 167 Orchard St, 6-8pm.

MAY 10 Tues - Reading/signing at wonderful expanded BOOKS OF WONDER, 18 W.18th St, 5:30-7pm

Quick Hello

A quick hello. Blogging will start for real shortly. Meantime, a thumbs-up thankee to the fine folks at 3jane, for this blog and Web design and the savvy cyber thinking.

My new book, NASTYbook, is out April 26, and info will flow here.

And outa sheer joy I urge you to see Kung Fu Hustle--it's a thing of glory!