The weather is turning, and it appears to be time to hit the road again starting this weekend, mostly to promote the new Penguin anthology but also to meet continuing interest in the graphic novel and camp resistance in general. Here’s the list as it stands today of in-person and virtual speaking events for this fall, including serving as headliner for the Densho annual fundraiser. Check the Events page for further updates.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT
September 8-9, 2024
JAMP Topaz Pilgrimage
— Sunday, Sept. 8, 11:00 am, at the Salt Lake City Public Library: Priscilla Ouchida and I will use the drawings by Ross Ishikawa for We Hereby Refuse to illustrate the personal story of Mitsuye Endo and her Supreme Court challenge. It was Priscilla’s personal conversations with Endo that informed the original story we were able to tell through the graphic novel form.
— Monday, Sept. 9, 9:00 am at the Little America Hotel: In conversation with Nancy Ukai, I will present selections from The Literature of Japanese American Incarceration that represent the experience of camp at Topaz, including the telegram sent by the Topaz Residents Committee setting conditions before answering the loyalty questionnaire, and the poem by Iwao Kawakami on the shooting of James Wakasa. Followed by a pop-up bookshop and signing mounted by The King’s English Bookshop.
IDAHO
September 10-12, 2024
Friends of Minidoka
“Nisei Trials: 80 Years” Distinguished Lecture series
— Twin Falls — College of Southern Idaho, Sept. 10, 2024, 6:00 pm
— Idaho Falls – Museum of Idaho, Sept. 11, 2024, 6:00 pm
— Boise – Idaho State Museum, Sept. 12, 2024, 6:00 pm
For the 80th anniversary of the Boise trials of the Minidoka draft resisters, Eric Muller and I will speak in conversation with Robyn Achilles at a series of presentations in Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, and Boise on “Resistance, Resilience, and the Ethics of Justice.” Free registration here.
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WA
Saturday, September 14, 2024, 10:50-11:30 am
National Asians and Pacific Islander American Historic Preservation Forum
Bainbridge Island Rowing Center
“Making Monuments through Storytelling: Beyond the Barbed Wire”
I’ll help introduce Beyond the Barbed Wire: Japanese American Stories of the Pacific Northwest, a web-based project for Friends of Minidoka that combines narration, oral histories, and visual content into online tours that create virtual “monuments.” The first tour is Resisters of the Pacific Northwest, for which we’re incorporating the stories of Jim and Gene Akutsu, John Okada, and the first-ever Day of Remembrance at Puyallup. We’ll present at the new Bainbridge Island Rowing Center facility, ahead of a group tour of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial.
ONLINE EVENT
Wednesday, September 18, 2024, 11:15 am
Washington Attorney General’s Office CLE
“Never Again Is Now: Japanese American resistance to wartime incarceration and what it means to us today”
Speaking via Zoom to assistant state attorneys general across the state of Washington on wartime incarceration, the law, and redress for a 60-minute Continuing Legal Education diversity program.
FRESNO, CA
Thursday, September 26, 2024, 12:00 pm
California State University, Fresno
Speaking about We Hereby Refuse virtually with students of Prof. Alison Mandaville as part of their lunchtime comics makers series. We’ll talk about the process of creating a documentary visual narrative in the form of a graphic novel.
LOS ANGELES, CA
Sunday, October 6, 2024, 9:00 am
Japanese American Confinement Sites Consortium education conference
“Uncovering Myths About Tule Lake”
Japanese American National Museum
At this annual conference with our national community of thought leaders and experts, I will present The Literature of Japanese American Incarceration and show how we scaffolded the selections to run up to and contextualize the segregation and renunciation crises at Tule Lake.
SEATTLE, WA
Thursday, October 10, 2024, 5:30-7:00 pm PT
Densho annual virtual fundraiser
“Unearthing History: Planting the Seeds for Densho’s Legacy“
Join Densho for our 2024 Virtual Fundraiser! Tune in on October 10th from 5:30 – 7:00 PM PT for an evening of dialogue, shared learning, and reflection featuring as we dig deeper into our history and continue planting the seeds for a lasting legacy. You’re invited to listen in as we are joined by honored guests Frank Abe, Floyd Cheung, and Andrew Leong. Each of them offer unique insights into some of the lesser known stories they’ve brought to light through the process of translating, compiling and editing their new anthology The Literature of Japanese American Incarceration. This powerful anthology serves as a grounding reminder there are still aspects of this history we’ve yet to unearth. Register here.
LOS ANGELES, CA
Saturday, October 12, 2024, 2:00 pm
Los Angeles book launch
Japanese American National Museum
For the Los Angeles book launch of The Literature of Japanese American Incarceration, Floyd Cheung and I will be in conversation with Densho’s Brian Niiya. The program will also feature selections from the anthology read by some of the LA-based readers for our audiobook, including Keone Young, traci kato-kiriyama, and Ren Hanami. Free with museum admission, tickets here.
SAN DIEGO, CA
Sunday, October 13, 2024, 2:00-3:30 pm
San Diego book launch
San Diego Public Library
Shiley Special Events Suite
Central Library, 330 Park Blvd.
Join me downtown central San Diego Public Library for a discussion of The Literature of Japanese American Incarceration in conversation with UC San Diego Ethnic Studies Professor Christen Sasaki. This event is co-sponsored with the Japanese American Historical Society of San Diego. Audience Q&A will follow. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing. Free registration here.
SACRAMENTO, CA
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Ninth Judicial Circuit Historical Society
A joint program on reframing the story of Tule Lake with filmmaker Sharon Yamato showing her new film, “One Fighting Irishmen,” with me following up with the Tule Lake story in We Hereby Refuse and The Literature of Japanese American Incarceration.
SEATTLE, WA
Monday, October 21, 2024, 7:00 pm
Third Place Books, Seward Park
An informal conversation with University of Washington professor Vince Schleitwiler around The Literature of Japanese American Incarceration.