Mariko Kitakubo Tanka Reading

front: Lindy Hill, Violet, Nardin Gottfried, Phyllis Collins, Mariko Kitakubo, Linda Galloway, Peggy Castro, Janis Lukstein
back: Debbie Kolodji, Ines Foley, Vic Gendrano

On Saturday, April 19, 2008, the Southern California Haiku Study Group co-sponsored a bilingual tanka reading by Mariko Kitakubo with the Pacific Asia Museum. The reading took place in the Japanese Gallery where the Rengetsu exhibit is on display through May 11th. Otagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875) was a Buddhist nun, a poet, a calligrapher, and ceramic artist. Listening to Kitakubo read tanka in Japanese surrounded by pottery and scrolls with Rengetsu poetry was a very special experience for all who attended.

Linda Galloway read the English translations of Kitakubo's work, translations by Amelia Fielden of Australia. The mood was set by music by Mei on shamisen, Rick Wilson on flute, and Kathy Wilson on percussion before and after the performance.

The reading was well attended, with approximately 40 people present. In addition to Mariko, Linda, Kathy, Rick, and Mei, attendees included Nardin Gottfried, Vic Gendrano, Peggy Hehman-Smith, Debbie Kolodji, D'Ellen Hutchins, Justin Kibbe, Jane Moore, Ericka Wilks, Violet, Ines Foley, Phyllis Collins, Elva, Nobuko Sugamoto, Peggy Castro, Lindy Hill, Maja Trochimczyk, Hisashi Matsue and members of a Japanese language tanka group in Los Angeles.

April 19th - Mariko Kitakubo

Mariko Kitakubo
tanka poet & performer
April 19, 2008 - 2 p.m.
Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena, CA

In a rare bilingual performance as part of the Authors on Asia program at the Pacific Asia Museum, Mariko Kitakubo, a leading Japanese poet and performance artist from Toyko, will present her tanka (Japan’s oldest and most popular poetry form) accompanied by Linda Galloway reading the English translation. The program is co-sponsored by the Southern California Haiku Study Group.

Kitakubo is a member of the Association of Contemporary Tanka Poets, Nihonkajin Club and the Sakujitsu Society. She has published three books in Japanese, I Want to Tell You in the Way of the Waves (1999), When the Music Stops (2002), and Will (2005) in addition to two collections of tanka in English, On this Same Star (2007) and Cicada Forest (2008).

Books will be available for purchase and signing. The program is free to museum members and Southern California Haiku Study Group members and free with museum general admission for non-members. $7 general, $5 students and seniors. There will be a reception afterwards in the museum courtyard. To help with planning for the event, please call 626-449-2742, ext 20 for reservations.