buried in the obituaries today I find a peculiar equation:
Well, it’s been a month, but the Beckumentary is now up on the 94.7 fm website.
I still don’t have the raw footage back, but at least there’s something there to see. It’s all pretty good: the 10 min interview with Beck, 3 songs from the show, and my backstage stuff, for a total of some 40 minutes of viewing pleasure.
Check it out!
As reported last week, the Portland Taiko (CD
The show, which honors Japanese American heritage has got me thinking about that very subject (more so that usual) a bit lately, and the marriage of George Takei this weekend brought it home.
For many people out there, George Takei
But for me, this event means much more on a cultural level — and not just because the ceremony, held at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles (Takei is one of the founders) was a festival of multi-culti love with a Buddhist priest, Native American wedding bands, a Koto harp and bagpipes.
You see, in 1942, George Takei was a 5-year old whose family was removed from their home and sent to the Rohwer War Relocation Center for internment in Arkansas. The family was later “transferred” to the Tule Lake War Relocation Center* in California. By coincidence, this was the same “center” my grandmother and her family were interned in.
Takei represents one of a generation of Nissei who grew up in the relocation camps who not only vowed to never forget the injustice but also rose above it to become a prominent member of society. In fact, in the ’60s Takei represented (as much as anyone) “the face” of Japanese America, portraying a dashing character on a TV-show that wasn’t simply an Asian stereotype, but was a fully actualized character that just also happened to be Asian.
I believe it is for this reason my grandfather became hooked on Star Trek. It’s something I don’t expect a lot of Anglo people to understand, but there is something fundamentally wrong about turning on the TV and not seeing anyone who looks or talks like you do on a racial level. No one. At best, you can get a stereotype “building a railroad” or “working at the convenience store” but thats it (not to mention in the 1960’s most Asian roles were played on TV and film by whites in yellow-face).
So for my grandfather, when he discovered Sulu and Star Trek, he became an instant fan. (It didn’t hurt that Star Trek explored a lot of other themes besides race and was written by some of the finest minds in fiction.) One of my fondest memories as a kid is watching Star Trek with my grandfather and it’s his love of Star Trek and sci-fi that was passed on to me and influences my writing (and thinking) daily.
In fact, it’s fair to say that I wouldn’t be a Star Trek fan if it weren’t for George Takei, and it’s also possible that I wouldn’t be a sci-fi fan (as big of one) either, so who knows what kind of writer I’d be if it weren’t for him.
So congratulations to George Takei, not just on your wedding, but for rising from the shadows of a dark period in Japanese American history and becoming an influential factor in the lives of people, not just Asian or gay, but everyone from all colors and creeds. You’ve truly shown entire generations of us how to “reach for the stars,” and you are appreciated more than this meager blog post will even convey.
This is what being “In the Footsteps of My Ancestors” is all about, and it’s what’s been on my mind as I prepare to go to the opening performance of the Portland Taiko show tomorrow with my sister.
* Special note: The photo of Tule Lake Relocation Center was taken by my grandmother in 1948. She was 26 or 27. It is one of only two photos I have up on the white board in my writing room.
Since I’m all about promoting music and the arts, but am also near broke, today was a fabulous opportunity to catch a free performance and get a cultural experience all in one.
The Portland Center for Performing Arts (PCPA) put on the first of a series of monthly “Noontime Showcases”, which basically is a brown bag lunch chance to see some of the cool things coming to PCPA. Because it was such a gorgeous day, they blocked off the street between the Antoinette Hatfield Hall and The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.
For the day’s treat, we saw a preview by just a few of the members of the Portland Taiko (CD
Taiko is a traditional Japanese drum style that is much an art form as a musical one. Featuring as many as 20 drummers working in choreographed syncopation, the Portland Taiko group is just one of several taiko troupes I’ve had the chance to see over the years. As a Japanese American, I feel a deep link to the art form, but also think that it’s a unique cultural experience for people of any ethnicity to see, especially if you’re interested in music, dance or art.
In the case of their latest show, which celebrates the richness of Japanese American heritage, this might be even so.
Upcoming Noontime Showcases
The PCPA offers their free noon programs monthly through June. Upcoming shows are:
* Tears of Joy – Puppet group performing excerpts from their hit Stellaluna, Monday, October 14
* Sally Harmon – contemporary classics on the piano, Monday, November 17
* A Tuna Christmas – a look behind the scenes of the play, Monday, December 15.
As the weather isn’t likely to stay good for the rest of the year, the upcoming “Noontime Showcases” will likely be inside at the Antoinette Hatfield Hall, there on Broadway. As you can see from the photos, there was something for all ages to see (and hear), and a great opportunity for a lunchtime field trip or a breather if you play work downtown.
Writing update: Yesterday I finished another story, which means I’m that much closer to having the collection finished (still thinking by mid-month). The new piece, “Mother’s Little Helper” was also written in anticipation of the birth of baby Luella sometime in the next couple of weeks. Technically, the baby is due Sept. 17, but all of us who know love Kimmy and Bawb know that their first born is going to be an impatient one, and none of us believe it will be the 17th before we see her.
A few days ago Bawb had a dream of his daughter where-in a group of people were marveling over her and someone ask when she was born. In the dream, Luella clearly answered, “Sept. 12 at 4:50 a.m.” which is pretty exact, although as I’ve got Sept. 9 in the baby pool, here’s hoping that little Luella gets a fibbing streak from her “Uncle” Tak and really she was stretching the truth in the dream for dramatic pause.
Anyway, still polishing up the first draft of “Mother’s Little Helper” but thought I’d post a mini-excerpt:
Lydia is mom’s little helper. Mom is the only mom on the block with an imaginary friend, but I don’t hold it against her. Sometimes I help mom too, but that’s usually so I can end up with frosting on my nose, although I’m never exactly sure how it gets there.
Dad doesn’t have any imaginary friends, although every month or so he seems to get worried that mom’s Aunt Flo will visit, but I’ve never met the lady.
Me, I’m precocious. At least that’s what my Uncle Jake says. Uncle Jake isn’t really my uncle, but he spells things for me. P-R-E-C-O-C-I-U-S. Uncle Jake says it means I’m “Pre-Concious or ‘almost self-aware’,” except he says it with that little foot shuffle he does that makes mom hide a giggle so I think he’s fibbing.
F-I-B-B-I-N-G. I don’t need Uncle Jake to spell that for me. He says it’s “the sound made when the air of truthfulness is slowly being let out of your tires.” He says things like that because he went to a Buddhist college.
A historical note about this piece: I came up with the idea for “Mother’s Little Helper” back in February as a story for Kimmy and Bawb’s wedding. At the time I was trying to think of a fitting wedding present and the radio station played a “Mother Block” — Pink Floyd’s