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Creating Handmade Books and Writing Fiction in Kanazawa, Japan 金沢市
Episodes
Friday Nov 16, 2018
Friday Nov 16, 2018
The first paragraph of In a Quiet Little Bar on the Coast, a short story scattered with magical realism, time-warping, and realism.
I’m sitting in this quiet little bar out on the coast. It’s a small bar, not a lot of walk-in customers, you know what I mean? A few locals, a couple of working ladies. Josh, the bartender, likes it quiet. Loud bars attract too many noisy policemen and Josh, well, he’s had enough of the police for one lifetime. Anyway, it’s not a busy place, right? Then about noon, this guy walks in. Plunks a well-travelled suitcase on the counter and orders a beer. Cold, he says, like he’s had warm beers in places like this before. He sniffs, looks around, sniffs again and finally blows his nose on a stained handkerchief while looking at Magda, the older working lady.
Reading this and other stories is possible in The Merchant of Venus & Other Stories available at all the usual places:
Nook, and
Kobo.
Monday Nov 12, 2018
Monday Nov 12, 2018
I’m sitting in this quiet little bar out on the coast. It’s a small bar, not a lot of walk-in customers, you know what I mean? On the ocean side of a two-laner wandering up the shoreline. The building, low and fat against the wind, waves, and rain, sits stubborn like. A few local working people hanging around after their shifts; a man who says he’s retired nursing a beer for twenty years, and a couple of working ladies.
That is the opening paragraph of my short story In A Quiet Little Bar on the Coast, one of the Other Stories in The Merchant of Venus and Other Stories. I’m doing two things with it that might be of interest to you all. First, I’m making changes, corrections, and improvements. Second, I’m recording it to upload somewhere as an audio short story. It will be posted here, of course, and perhaps another online source; I’m not sure where yet.
By the way, the cover photo is by Dutch photographer Lode Van de Velde.
The Merchant of Venus and Other Stories is available at Apple Books, Amazon, Kobo, and Nook. If Nook is still in existence these days. Looks like Barnes and Noble is on the ropes, doesn’t it?
The other thing I hoped to have finished by last week is 15 guidebook/Japanese lesson book/blank notebook journals of A6 size, about 100 pages and useful for tourists wandering around Kanazawa.
What is finished are schedules for 2019. In the photo you can see five, two with book cloth covers (red and white) and three with kimono cloth covers (blue and flowery).
The Schedules are for sale on my store at: Tedorigawa Bookmakers.
email: tedorigawa.bookmakers@gmail.com
YouTube: Tedorigawa Bookmakers
Facebook: Tedorigawa
Instagram: Bookbinder 2015
Sunday Nov 04, 2018
Sunday Nov 04, 2018
I’m making an edition of 15 for my Japanese notes/guide book called Hunting Kanazawa. It includes phrases that tourists who don’t speak Japanese might need while in a Japanese-speaking area of the world. Phrases like “Where is my hotel?” and “How much is this?” and more useful questions like “How old is this?” It comes in English, transliteration, and Japanese so if you find yourself not being understood by speaking either Japanese or English, you can show the question to the target of your inquiries. Useful. Convenient!
I’m also working on two other audio endeavors. First is a video of me making The Merchant of Venus and Other Stories. It is definitely not a how-to video; never do as I do, always do as I say (they are often complete opposites). It will show the book being made from writing it to adding the covers. There will be narration, so be forewarned, eh?
The second is an audio book of one of the stories from The Merchant of Venus and Other Stories: In A Quiet Little Bar On The Coast. It will have visuals not necessarily related to the story and the occasional sound effect when called for. When finished, I may post it here first. An exclusive for You Wonderful Folks. Then on YouTube for everyone else.
Remember: The Merchant of Venus and Other Stories is available on Apple Books, Amazon, Nook, Scribd and Kobo for your reading pleasure. If you would like a real book bound by me, the author, slip me an email and we can discuss the details.
email: tedorigawa.bookmakers@gmail.com
YouTube as Tedorigawa Bookmakers
Facebook as Tedorigawa
Instagram as Bookbinder 2015
Wednesday Oct 24, 2018
Wednesday Oct 24, 2018
I have a book of six short stories for sale called The Merchant of Venus & Other Stories. It is available at Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and Kobo. It will soon be available at the 800 lbs gorilla in the bookosphere, too, I assume.
Two of the short stories are available at those sites for free. You can check out two of the stories: The Merchant of Venus and Monkey, Dick, and I before buying the book. Perfect for gift giving as well!
I talk about both The Merchant of Venus and Monkey, Dick, and I on my YouTube video TDBG Sales Plan. Along with plans for the next two or three books.
All books mentioned are available as Real Books i.e. made of paper and backcloth and bound by me, a bookbinder!
email at: tedorigawa.bookmakers@gmail.com
YouTube as Tedorigawa Bookmakers
Facebook as Tedorigawa
Instagram as Bookbinder 2015
Sunday Oct 21, 2018
Sunday Oct 21, 2018
Here are five Ninja Schedules for 2019 that include a ninja on random pages. Also included are calendars both yearly, and monthly. With Japanese holidays included. There are, obviously, three made from kimono or hakama cloth and two made from book cloth (pale white & red.)
I made the Book Cloth out of the kimono and hakama by backing it with calligraphy paper and adding copious amounts of glue. And an iron. And waiting. I have more kimono book cloth waiting for Hungry Kanazawa, another book of mine for tourists. It includes a schedule, language hints, and reviews of restaurants I like.
2019 will be the Year of Frustration for calendar makers. First, the current emperor is scheduled to retire in May. The new emperor will begin the same day. However, the current emperor’s birthday is in December; after he retires, it will no longer be a holiday. The new emperor’s birthday is in February. Since he will become emperor in May, his 2019 birthday will not be a holiday. In 2020, the new emperor’s birthday (in February) will be a holiday. However, the government is thinking of making the day of the abdication and acension to the throne a holiday. This will give the fine people of Japan a 10-day holiday in April/May. The longest ever. Calendar makers are gnashing their teeth: An extra holiday or no?
This book, Stealing November, is nearly complete. The main characters are in mid-escape and, with luck, will escape. It has three basic plots and four main characters. The three plots are: exploring the Congo, finding a unique and old book, the relationship between the main character and his girlfriend/wife (same person, different times). The four characters are: Hairball, Sakombi, Kurt Kurtz (an alias), and Hairball's girlfriend/wife who has a name but it might very well change in the next draft.
Check other facets of myself on Facebook, Instagram, andYouTube
email: tedorigawa.bookmakers@gmail.com
Also, in progess, an Instagram page.
Monday Oct 15, 2018
Monday Oct 15, 2018
Nearly two months since the last episode. Way too long for me. How about you? Here is what I’ve been doing in the two months since... sweating. As most of the world, Japan has been hot. Hot, hot. Record high temperatures in many places. However, I was not completely idle, sitting in front of an air conditioner in a crowded coffee shop, no, no.
I made a video (available on, of course YouTube, at https://youtu.be/e1P56sDyd8w). I made five small schedule books with information about where to eat here in Kanazawa. I wrote three-quarters of a novel which I will talked to you about in Episode 179 (https://tedorigawabookmakers.podbean.com/e/ep-179-planning-samples/). And I started my first science fiction novel which has no name as of yet. It is geared to be my NaNoWriMo novel (https://nanowrimo.org). In other words, I hope to finish it.
Friday Jul 20, 2018
Friday Jul 20, 2018
I apologize for not having the ebook up this week. I have many excuses but the main one is, I don’t have an excuse; it should’ve been up by now. Sorry, sorry, sorry.
I’m also making a video of me making mistakes making a 2019 schedule book with lots of Ninja 忍者 in it. I made it three times and, like many things, the third time was the charm. Once I have it cased in and perfected (to my way of thinking, anyway) I will let you know how to get your own ~ free to the first five ~ 2019 schedule complete with, I hope, covers.
tedorigawabookmakers.podbean.com
tedorigawa.bookmakers@gmail.com
Friday Jul 13, 2018
Friday Jul 13, 2018
Depending on how my account works with iBooks, I will have a free short story for you all soon, I hope. If I can remember my password. The story is called In A Quiet Little Bar On The Coast and it deals with a salesman who takes a customer for a ride through time. I hope I can upload it to iBooks soon.
If I manage to upload it, I will upload five more free short stories before uploading and selling all six as an iBook I’m titling: The Merchant of Venus and Other Stories in the near future. Again, I hope.
On the other hand, I cased in three novels over the last week. The three are books I have spoken about before, probably at some length: Calvado, The Priests of Hiroshima, and The Venetian Slime Woman. They are, of course, for sale but not as of yet up on iBooks. Once I figure out this new-fangled ebook epub format, they will be up.
If you want a Real Book®? you can email me at:
tedorigawa.bookmakers@gmail.com
and request one. Ah, yes, but at what price, eh? A handmade book bound by the author of that book? Not $0.99, that’s for sure. But for you, my loyal listener? Not too expensive. No need to sell the house, ya know? Stay tuned.
tedorigawabookmakers.podbean.com
tedorigawa.bookmakers@gmail.com
Thursday Jul 05, 2018
Thursday Jul 05, 2018
youtube.com/tedorigawabookmakers
tedorigawa.bookmakers@gmail.com
I cased in two books, my novel Feeding Vicki’s Corpse, and gave them to the namesakes of the main character and one of the dead bodies. One major mistake on one of the books, but not something a non-bookbinder will notice right away. I hope.
I also printed out a 2019 (with a 2020 yearly calendar) schedule. It’s a sample that I hope the customer will like and buy one or a dozen. It is, as I type this, not finished yet. All that needs to be finished is the coptic sewing.
A Youtube video of myself doing something is up on, appropriately, 
YouTube at youtube.com/tedorigawabookmakers. I hope. One is titled Feeding Vicki’s Corpse - I talk about the plot, again, while showing you the binding in progress. The other one is titled Sewing Vicki- which is just me sewing the textbloc up. Please check them out.
Thursday Jun 28, 2018
Thursday Jun 28, 2018
Today, this very day, I punched holes, sewed, glued mull, the spine paper piece, and headbands on my edition of two of Feeding Vicki’s Corpse. Next? Casing the mothers in. One is being sent to a friend and the same one has two small tears in the sewing section of on signature. I hope, first, he doesn’t notice it and, second, it isn’t noticeable. Why did I tear holes in the holes? Anxious to get it done; I was working too fast. I must, as Aldus Manutius said, hasten slowly.
Besides the two Feeding Vicki’s Corpse novels, I also punched holes in three more novels. I’ve talked about them before but I will list the three here so you can feel comforted that they do indeed exist: Calvado, The Priests of Hiroshima, and The Venetian Slime Woman. They 
are all part of the Calvado Pentalogy, of course, parts two, three, and five. They have all been edited (by me) and require a second pair or more of eyes to check for spelling and other errors.