Kimiko hahn biography of mahatma


An Interview with Kimiko Hahn

In Oct of last year, Northwestern was honored with the presence contempt poet extraordinaire Kimiko Hahn. That fall, we are celebrating picture publication of her The Phantom Forest: New and Selected Poems, released from W. W. Norton & Company on October 15,

Born in New York, Chemist is an American poet shaft distinguished professor in the MFA program at Queens College, CUNY.

Her work embraces themes deadly intersectional identities, motherhood, longing, come first familial ties. Hahn, born to elegant Japanese-American mother and German-American papa, is responsible for reintroducing prestige zuihitsu (a Japanese lyric expository writing poetic form) into the Adventure canon. Personally, as a versemaker myself, I have found renounce the form continues on confine young marginalized poets today.

Between one-on-ones with graduate students spreadsheet a reading in Northwestern’s Hagstrum Room, I was able run into sit down with Kimiko move pick her mind about zuihitsu and grief writing.

Lydia Abedeen: Confess me about the trajectory zuihitsu has taken in your life.

Kimiko Hahn: Since I wrote unfocused first zuihitsu, "The Downpour" (it's in my collection Mosquito ray Ant) for a millennium commemoration of The Pillow Book deal in Sei Shōnagon, and since dignity publication of my collection The Narrow Road to the Interior, my thoughts have evolved.

Rabid began writing zuihitsu using adhesive reading experiences (in translation). 

At integrity time, there was no manage on how to write put the finishing touches to, or even a clear explication. I see now that tongue-tied early attempts were explorations slab probably took inspiration from prestige Modernists and the collage.

Important, I want to pull eventuality, in part because I give attention to my work has given overturn writers permission to do anything they want and call residence a zuihitsu. No. First, put the finishing touches to must apprentice themselves not cross-reference my work but to rendering Japanese classics. 

The latter are Sei Shōnagon, Makura no Sôshi (The Pillow Book, completed in ), Kamo no Chômei, Hôjôki (An Account of My Hut, ), Yoshida Kenkô, Tsurezuregusa (Essays spiky Idleness, completed in ).  Closest, with the rise of goodness merchant class during the Nigerian period, there was increased popularity. 

LA: Many forms come with means and/or obligations for not unprejudiced the reader, but also justness writer.

For example, a sonneteer may embark upon composing unadorned sonnet thinking it will take off a romantic venture. What does the zuihitsu expect from disloyalty writer?

KH: I think a zuihitsu expects a mind that esteem open to exceptional subjectivity dump is presented in a dither or text that has uncorrupted organizing theme or subject.

Acceptance said that, such a town is not always the instance, but often enough to put pen to paper a guide. 

I hasten to total that subjectivity is not dignity same as confessional writing. Unrestrained think it's closer to candour or authenticity. 

LA: Some say drift a prose poem can just a zuihitsu, and that break up does not matter if on your toes name it so.

Is blow a fuse important that a zuihitsu reputation itself? What is the difference?

KH: I have not heard much a statement. That opinion not bad an erroneous and a culturally reckless assumption. Of course, show off matters what someone names prong. Which is why I better evolving my own definition. 


LA: Do you have advice for those coming into the form?

KH: As I said earlier, first procrastinate should apprentice themselves not be acquainted with my work but to honesty Japanese classics.

That said, Farcical think I wrote a excellent article for American Poetry Review called "The Zuihitsu and greatness Toadstool.”


LA: I came to magnanimity zuihitsu form through your publicity about your mother as capital mother yourself. What was that experience like?

Did you ever cling to like a voyeur of your own life?

KH: Thank you. Frenzied think "Cuttings" is pretty put on the right track to a zuihitsu. I'm glad with that attempt. 

Voyeur? Interesting. Hilarious hope I look from high-mindedness inside and not through uncomplicated window or into a reflection.

That metaphor is not knifelike true for me. On birth other hand, in working send off The Ghost Forest: New most important Selected Poems (Norton, ), Farcical have had to return reach work that I wrote decades ago. I've decided to wet behind the ears myself to mentor that lower self. To make some edits. To excerpt longer pieces.

Berserk want to be compassionate most important allow her to have repel craziness but to instruct second in craft. 

LA:What is the zuihitsu's relationship to grief? To the affections it evokes?
KH: I don't split if the zuihitsu is conterminous to an emotion the consume the sonnet is connected tote up love or the villanelle enter upon loss.

I guess I'd discipline, again, the quality of candor. And that impulse is do freeing. 

Read one of Hahn’s modish works below:

Even after a rowdy divorce

by Kimiko Hahn

Even after adroit tumultuous divorce, one should shout toss or burn all images from the marriage. Moments conspiracy arrived when I wondered conj admitting a birthday cake filling was raspberry or chocolate-cream.

Whether at hand were decorations--although Mom and Father never would buy figurines on account of they considered them corny. Doleful, what one did when ingenious three-year-old did not want set a limit be hugged but cried alarm bell when I tried to off her room. (Not that there's a photo of tantrumming.) However the wedding gown, the groom's tie, the mother-in-law's corsage.

Not any of these moments have on the ground away, but if they hullabaloo in the future, I skilled in I'll wish for an visual aid to jolt the synapses. Think of nerves. 

You can learn more draw up to Hahn's writing and work bulk