Kazuko Shiraishi was a leading name in modern Japanese “beat” poetry known for her dramatic readings, at times with jazz music.
TOKYO — Kazuko Shiraishi, a leading name in modern Japanese “beat” poetry, known for her dramatic readings, at times with jazz music, has died. She was 93.Shiraishi shot to fame when she was just 20, freshly graduated from Waseda University in Tokyo, with her “Tamago no Furu Machi,” translated as “The Town that Rains Eggs”—a surrealist portrayal of Japan’s wartime destruction.
Shiraishi counted Joan Miro, Salvador Dali and John Coltrane among her influences. She was a pioneer in performance poetry, featured at poetry festivals around the world. She read her works with the music of jazz greats like Sam Rivers and Buster Williams, and even a free-verse homage to the spirit of Coltrane.
Shiraishi’s personality and poems, which were sometimes bizarre or erotic, defied Japan’s historical rule-bound forms of literature like haiku and tanka, instead taking a modern, unexplored path. Over the years, her work has been widely translated into dozens of languages. She was also a translator of literature, including works by Ginsberg.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Are investment trusts the new Japanese equities?For me there is no sensible reason why their share prices trade at a discount to NAV
Read more »
Yuki Tsunoda: RB take up option to keep Japanese driver for 2025 Formula 1 seasonYuki Tsunoda will remain at RB for the 2025 Formula 1 season after the team took up an option to extend the Japanese driver's contract for a further year.
Read more »
Yuki Tsunoda: RB retain Japanese driver for fifth season in 2025Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda will stay at Red Bull’s second team for a fifth season in 2025.
Read more »
Live news: Japanese equities rise after GDP data revisionJapanese equities rise after GDP data revision
Read more »
Giant Japanese ‘space elevator’ promises to lift tourists 22,000 miles above Earth by 2050Giant Japanese ‘space elevator’ promises to lift tourists 22,000 miles above Earth by 2050 – but there’s a big danger
Read more »
Cos’s New Collection Blends Traditional Japanese Art With Modern DesignCos has partnered with Kuzuki Tabata to create a limited-edition collection which celebrates shibori, an ancient Japanese tie-dyeing technique
Read more »