On the Coffee Table: Manga Yokai Stories

Title: Manga Yokai Stories: Ghostly Tales from Japan

Original Author: Lafcadio Hearn

Adapted for manga by: Sean Michael Wilson

Artist: Inko Ai Takita

via Amazon

In the early twentieth century, Irish-Greek writer Lafcadio Hearn compiled and translated Japanese folk tales for an English-language readership, an important development in conveying Japanese culture to the West.  Hearn favored yokai tales, essentially ghost stories.  Sean Michael Wilson and Inko Ai Takita have adapted several from his collection to manga form.

Death is a taboo subject in Japanese culture.  The worst swears and insults refer to death in much the way they pertain to bodily functions in the Anglo world.  So even though I'm not into horror stories per se, I appreciate these for the perspective on Japanese views of death.  Themes include guilt, obsession and lust.  The most vengeful ghosts are the ones who were dishonored in life - not so different from Western tropes.  

The real treat is Inko Ai Takita's stunning artwork:

via Amazon

I would love to be able to read the stories in the original Japanese.  I always wonder what is lost in translation.  Alas, I have not the skills.  I guess adaptations will have to do.

Squid Eats: Tara Kitchen

via Tara Kitchen

We hadn't seen The Philosopher in 13 years, in fact not since this blog post.  He's a friend I've managed to keep since we were both three years old.  Fortunately, we were able to work out a quick overnight connection recently on our way to Pennsylvania.  

He lives in Schenectady, New York, home to, among other things, a nice Moroccan restaurant, Tara Kitchen.  Tara has six locations in all: four in New York State, one in New Jersey and one in India.  Schnectady is a college town and a quiet one in the summer.  There wasn't much competition for parking downtown.  Even so, the restaurant itself was busy.  Getting a table for five required a bit of a squeeze.  

We got potato patties and Moroccan "cigars" as appetizers to share.  The cigars were a bit like egg rolls, made with phyllo dough and lamb.  I would definitely get those again.  On The Philosopher's girlfriend's recommendation, I got the chicken with mixed vegetables in apricot and prune sauce.  It was delicious, though heavy.  I wasn't able to finish.  

I'd go again, though as it was our first time in town, I'm eager to explore other offerings.  Hopefully, it won't be another 13 years until our next visit.  Maybe we can visit the one in India some day.

Star Trek: State of Flux

Episode: "State of Flux"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 1, Episode 11

Original Air Date: April 10, 1995

via Memory Alpha

There's a spy aboard Voyager.  

Our heroes respond to a Kazon distress call.  When they arrive at the vessel, all aboard are dead, victims of an explosion.  Investigations reveal that Federation equipment - material that most certainly came from Voyager - is the cause of the trouble.  Who on the crew would do such a thing?  The two primary suspects are both in engineering: Seska, a Maquis alum, and Lieutenant Carey, a Starfleet officer.  The plot thickens when Seska's blood scan reveals she's not actually Bajoran as we've been lead to believe...

For the most part, the series has steered clear of Maquis-Starfleet tensions to this point - rather surprising as it was a promising story line in the beginning.  Even Torres, Hothead #1 in the pilot, has settled into rock solid dependability.  Seska is the only one who has remained a bit of a wild card and her story kicks into higher gear with "State of Flux."  Actress Martha Hackett (Seska) was not made aware of her character's true identity until three or four episodes into the first season.  Fortunately, she'll be back in future seasons.

Interestingly, Carey will not, except in flashback scenes.

"State of Flux" is a good Chakotay episode.  We get a glimpse of his past romantic relationship with Seska.  More importantly, we learn a lot about his sense of loyalty.

Food Notes

The story begins with a foraging expedition led by Neelix for a disgusting but evidently nutritious leola root.  Shortly after, Seska makes mushroom soup for Chakotay.  As she stole the ingredients from the food stores, it is an early indication that perhaps her loyalties are still clouded.

Acting Notes

via Dexter Wiki

Martha Hackett was born in Boston, February 21, 1961.  She graduated from Harvard, cum laude.  

Hackett auditioned for the principal role of Jadzia Dax in Deep Space Nine before it was given to Terry Farrell but the producers liked what they saw.  Prior to landing Seska, she'd had guest roles on both TNG and DS9.  In total, she appeared in 13 Voyager episodes.  

Beyond Star Trek, she has made multiple appearances on Hill Street Blues, I Heart Vampires and Days of our Lives.  Films include Never Been Kissed, The Lone Ranger and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

On the Road: North Adams

As discussed in previous posts, we've been making rather frequent trips to North Adams, Massachusetts over the past few years.  The main attraction in town is the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), a space converted from an old factory.  The museum is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Our primary excuse for our most recent trip was a Seun Kuti concert.  Seun is the son of Fela Kuti, the legendary King of Afrobeat.  In fact, Seun leads his father's former band Egypt 80.  As you can see from the photo, the son projects the same revolutionary posture as his dad.  But in live performance, he was jovial and personable.  He puts on a great show.  I highly recommend going to see him if you have the chance.  Linked here are the details for his current North American tour, running through this coming Sunday.

There's always plenty going on at the museum.  Our highlights this trip: The Plastic Bag Store, a multimedia experience created by Robin Frohardt (see photos) and The Cost of Industry, a video animation piece by Chris Doyle.

Our favored hotel, The Porches Inn, is almost worth the trip in itself.  Built around what was once middle management housing for the factory, the Inn features a (sort of) heated pool and a hot tub, both outdoors and both open year-round.  Hot water bathing has become a bit of a travel sub-hobby for us.

We'll definitely be back.

On the Coffee Table: Yani Hu

Title: Udon Noodle Soup: Little Tales for Little Things

Writer and Artist: Yani Hu

via Amazon

Udon Noodle Soup is a graphic-novel collection of short stories by Chinese-born creator Yani Hu.  As clearly indicated by the subtitle, the subjects are the simple objects that connect people in a life: the flavor of a soup, the warmth of a hand-knit sweater, a used toothbrush, a thoughtful gift, a soccer jersey.  

I was born a sentimental old fool so stories like these tug at me.  I don't let go of anything or anyone easily.  Held onto tchotchkes for way too long because they remind me of people?  Yes, I've done that.  Remembered old friends decades past the point when they've likely and understandably forgotten all about me?  All the time.  There are morals in Hu's tales, too, reminders of how cruel we can be to those who are unexpectedly generous.  It's easy to feel sorry for oneself in life - put upon, even victimized.  It's important to remember the moments we've been on the receiving end of more kindness than we've deserved.

Udon Noodle Soup is a soothing, quick read with beautiful, manga-style artwork.  It's Hu's first work in English.  I'll keep an eye out for more.

Star Trek: Prime Factors

Episode: "Prime Factors"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 1, Episode 10

Original Air Date: March 20, 1995

via Memory Alpha

The Sikarians, famous for their hospitality, welcome the Voyager crew to their beautiful planet.  Gathorel Labin, their handsome magistrate, takes a particular shine to Captain Janeway.  Matters quickly become complicated when Ensign Kim, who experiences his own quasi-romance, discovers their hosts possess a technology which could get our heroes halfway home.  Unfortunately, the Skiarians, so generous in every other area, are reluctant to share in this case.  It would seem they have their own prime directive.

"Prime Factors" is a strong episode.  The shoe is on the other foot in this Prime Directive scenario, in itself a welcome Trek twist.  Once news of the "space folding" tech and the diplomatic complications spreads to the crew, the back channel scheming begins.  The desire to get home weighs heavily against loyalty to the Captain and it's not just the former Maquis who are conflicted.  Relationships are tested and for narrative considerations, that's a good thing.  It remains to be seen whether there will be long-term ramifications.

Needless to say, the shortcut doesn't work out.  I'm finding, at least so far, that the most effective episodes are the ones that push hardest on the far from home anxieties.

Acting Notes

via Memory Beta

Garrett Wang (Harry Kim) was born in Riverside, California, December 15, 1968.  His family moved around quite a lot, first to Indiana, then to Bermuda, then to Memphis and finally back to California.  He graduated from UCLA with a degree in Asian Studies.

Wang's parents were dead set against him pursuing a career in acting.  He made a deal with them.  He would give it a go for two years and quit if it didn't work out.  They agreed.  A year-and-a-half later, he got the part on Voyager.  

Wang's resume is pretty slim compared to his regular cast colleagues.  This speaks to the reality of the industry.  Opportunities for an actor of Asian descent, even one who attains a significant level of early success, are severely limited.  Apart from a few commercials, his only paid job before Star Trek was a guest appearance on All-American Girl.  Films since include Ivory Tower, Demon Island and Unbelievable!!!  He has made guest appearances on Into the West and American Dad!  

On the Coffee Table: Unnatural Death

Title: Unnatural Death

Author: Dorothy L. Sayers

via Target

Lord Peter Wimsey is back for more adventures.  While out to dinner one night with his friend Charles Parker, a police inspector, Wimsey learns the details of a mysterious death from a doctor at a nearby table.  While the demise was attributed to natural causes, our man isn't convinced.  So begins an unlikely murder investigation based on close to zero evidence.

As I have written before, Wimsey is a cross between Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster and per usual, the text references both characters.  Fortunately for all of the other principals involved, Wimsey is more grounded than either and his world more earth-bound.  A Sayers mystery is different in that the author is a procedure nerd: medical, legal, whatever.  And the question of who? is less crucial than how? to this particular story.  Wimsey's logic in even pursuing the case is largely philosophical:

...if you read all the books on this shelf, you'd come to the conclusion that murder was a failure.  But bless you, it's always the failures that make the noise.  Successful murderers don't write to the papers about it.  They don't even join in imbecile symposia to tell an inquisitive world "What Murder means to me" or "How I became a Successful Poisoner."  Happy murderers, like happy wives, keep quiet tongues.

Following this logic, it is the very tidiness of the crime which leads Whimsey to suspect.

A new character is introduced to the series: Miss Katherine Climpson.  A seemingly harmless "spinster," Lord Peter employs her as an undercover investigator, drawing on her powers as an expert gossip.  Sayers is often credited as being the first mystery writer to promote feminist ideas in her work.  Climpson is her first, though not her last, character to get directly involved in the detective work.  Sayers herself was, of course, a victim of the professional limitations placed upon women of her era.  No doubt such characters were meaningful vehicles for expressing her views.  

The book was published in the 1920s, not an era known for enlightened thinking in regards to race or religion.  Several highly questionable remarks are made regarding both Jews and Catholics (Miss Climpson is Catholic).  Far worse is the language regarding Black people.

Interestingly, it's never Lord Peter himself making these comments.  Indeed, Sayers paints him as more tolerant than those around him.

Overall, the book is great fun.  When not offensive, it's quite funny, especially given the dark topic.  Sayers's unusual approach is refreshing.  I look forward to reading more.