Amy Yamada
Encyclopedia
born February 8, 1959, is a popular but controversial contemporary Japanese writer who is most famous for her stories that address issues of sexuality, racism, and interracial marriage
, topics not typically discussed openly in Japanese society.
Born in Tokyo as , Yamada's father's job required her family to move all over Japan. This transient lifestyle forced her to confront issues of separation and bullying, issues that many of her protagonists also deal with.
According to her interview with the Japanese magazine Bungei, during middle school she was moved by African-American soul music
and began to read any novels she could find written by black people
, or featuring black people. She held a job in the Roppongi
district of Tokyo
, an area rich with foreigners.
After graduating high school in 1977, she entered Meiji University's
Literature department, but dropped out before graduating. After a short stint writing manga
, she began writing novels in 1980. Though her works garnered some attention, even receiving praise from Japanese literary critic , she only achieved widespread recognition in 1985, when Bedtime Eyes won the Bungei Prize
. In writing Bedtime Eyes, Yamada drew upon her experiences with black people and black culture and combined them with the Japanese literary tradition.
In 1996, "Trash" was published in English translation by Kodansha International (translator: Sonya L. Johnson). In May 2006, three of Yamada's novellas (Bedtime Eyes 「ベッドタイム･アイズ」, The Piano Player's Fingers 「指の戯れ」 and Jesse 「ジェシーの背骨」) were published in English translation (translators: Yumi Gunji and Marc Jardine) as a single volume by St Martin's Press under the collective title "Bedtime Eyes.
In Yamada's second collection of works, Jesse's Spine, Yamada depicts the experiences of a woman who is learning to adjust to life with her lover's child from another relationship. The writing style of this work has been compared to William Saroyan
's novel, Papa You're Crazy. Through her depiction of the child's perspective on the world, her book was a critical success, earning her a nomination for the prize for new authors. In her short novels, Classroom for the Abandoned Dead, Afterschool Music, and I Can't Study, Yamada tackles the topics of childhood life, bullying, and school life. In an interview with Bungei Shunjū upon winning the prize, named Yamada's Afterschool Music as one of their major influences, explaining that her works were one of the greatest depictions of modern Japan.
Interracial marriage
Interracial marriage occurs when two people of differing racial groups marry. This is a form of exogamy and can be seen in the broader context of miscegenation .-Legality of interracial marriage:In the Western world certain jurisdictions have had regulations...
, topics not typically discussed openly in Japanese society.
Born in Tokyo as , Yamada's father's job required her family to move all over Japan. This transient lifestyle forced her to confront issues of separation and bullying, issues that many of her protagonists also deal with.
According to her interview with the Japanese magazine Bungei, during middle school she was moved by African-American soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and began to read any novels she could find written by black people
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
, or featuring black people. She held a job in the Roppongi
Roppongi
is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous as home to the rich Roppongi Hills area and an active night club scene. Many foreign embassies are located in Roppongi, and the night life is popular with locals and foreigners alike...
district of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, an area rich with foreigners.
After graduating high school in 1977, she entered Meiji University's
Meiji University
is a private university in Tokyo and Kawasaki, founded in 1881 by three lawyers of the Meiji era, Kishimoto Tatsuo, Miyagi Kōzō, and Yashiro Misao. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Japanese universities in Tokyo, Japan....
Literature department, but dropped out before graduating. After a short stint writing manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, she began writing novels in 1980. Though her works garnered some attention, even receiving praise from Japanese literary critic , she only achieved widespread recognition in 1985, when Bedtime Eyes won the Bungei Prize
Bungei Prize
The is a Japanese literary award given by publishing company Kawade Shobō Shinsha. It was first awarded in 1962.-See also:* List of Japanese literary awards- External links :*...
. In writing Bedtime Eyes, Yamada drew upon her experiences with black people and black culture and combined them with the Japanese literary tradition.
In 1996, "Trash" was published in English translation by Kodansha International (translator: Sonya L. Johnson). In May 2006, three of Yamada's novellas (Bedtime Eyes 「ベッドタイム･アイズ」, The Piano Player's Fingers 「指の戯れ」 and Jesse 「ジェシーの背骨」) were published in English translation (translators: Yumi Gunji and Marc Jardine) as a single volume by St Martin's Press under the collective title "Bedtime Eyes.
In Yamada's second collection of works, Jesse's Spine, Yamada depicts the experiences of a woman who is learning to adjust to life with her lover's child from another relationship. The writing style of this work has been compared to William Saroyan
William Saroyan
William Saroyan was an Armenian American dramatist and author. The setting of many of his stories and plays is the center of Armenian-American life in California in his native Fresno.-Early years:...
's novel, Papa You're Crazy. Through her depiction of the child's perspective on the world, her book was a critical success, earning her a nomination for the prize for new authors. In her short novels, Classroom for the Abandoned Dead, Afterschool Music, and I Can't Study, Yamada tackles the topics of childhood life, bullying, and school life. In an interview with Bungei Shunjū upon winning the prize, named Yamada's Afterschool Music as one of their major influences, explaining that her works were one of the greatest depictions of modern Japan.
Prizes
- 1985 Bungei PrizeBungei PrizeThe is a Japanese literary award given by publishing company Kawade Shobō Shinsha. It was first awarded in 1962.-See also:* List of Japanese literary awards- External links :*...
---Bedtime Eyes (Beddotaimu Aizu, ベッドタイムアイズ) - 1987 Naoki PrizeNaoki PrizeThe Naoki Prize is a Japanese literary award presented semiannually. The official name is Naoki Sanjugo Prize. It was created in 1935 by Kikuchi Kan, then editor of the Bungeishunjū magazine, and named in memory of novelist Naoki Sanjugo...
---Soul Music Lovers Only (Sōru Myūjikku Rabāzu Onrī, ソウル・ミュージック・ラバーズ・オンリー) - 1989 Hirabayashi Taiko Bungaku Prize ---Classroom for the Abandoned Dead (Fūsō no Kyōshitsu, 風葬の教室 )
- 1991 Jyoryū Bungaku Prize---Trash (Torasshu, トラッシュ)
- 1996 Izumi Kyōka Prize for LiteratureIzumi Kyōka Prize for LiteratureIzumi Kyōka Prize for Literature is the prize for literature in Japan. It was established and started in 1973 to commemorate the 100th year since the birth of Kyōka Izumi...
---Animal Logic (Animaru Rojikku, アニマル・ロジック) - 2000 Yomiuri PrizeYomiuri PrizeThe is a prestigious literary award in Japan. The prize was founded in 1948 by the Yomiuri Shinbun Company to help form a "cultural nation". The winner is awarded one million Japanese yen and an inkstone.-Award categories:...
---A2Z - 2005 Tanizaki PrizeTanizaki PrizeThe Tanizaki Prize , named in honor of the Japanese novelist Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, is one of Japan's most sought-after literary awards. It was established in 1965 by the publishing company Chūō Kōronsha Inc. to commemorate its 80th anniversary as a publisher...
---Wonderful Flavor (Fūmizekka, 風味絶佳)
External links
- J-pop.com review of Trash