In Praise of Solitude: Two Japanese Classics on Reclusion
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Matthew Stavros
Jan 28, 2022, 8:06:04 AM1/28/22
to PMJS: Premodern Japanese Studies
Dear PMJS members,
I’m thrilled to announce the release of my new book, In Praise of Solitude: Two Japanese Classics on Reclusion.
Inspired by the rolling lockdowns and travel restrictions of the past two years, the book is a collection of classic works of Japanese recluse writing from the 10th and 13th centuries. The first, Chiteiki 池亭記 (982), is the memoir of Yoshishige no Yasutane, a mid-level civil servant, deeply disillusioned by the urban decay of the imperial capital. Intent upon simulating the eremitic life, he builds a walled residence in the city’s south. Inside, he indulges romantic notions about a life apart, lost in the pleasures of literature and religious devotion. The second work, Hōjōki 方丈記 (c. 1213), is Kamo no Chōmei’s personal account of a life-long journey toward increasingly remote modes of living. This masterpiece of Japanese renunciate writing exemplifies a medieval Japanese ethos colored by a pervasive mindfulness about the evanescence of existence.
These all-new translations are accompanied by the primary Japanese source texts, detailed scholarly annotations, original maps, and powerful illustrations by Reginald Jackson.
Inspired by the rolling lockdowns and travel restrictions of the past two years, the book is a collection of classic works of Japanese recluse writing from the 10th and 13th centuries. The first, Chiteiki 池亭記 (982), is the memoir of Yoshishige no Yasutane, a mid-level civil servant, deeply disillusioned by the urban decay of the imperial capital. Intent upon simulating the eremitic life, he builds a walled residence in the city’s south. Inside, he indulges romantic notions about a life apart, lost in the pleasures of literature and religious devotion. The second work, Hōjōki 方丈記 (c. 1213), is Kamo no Chōmei’s personal account of a life-long journey toward increasingly remote modes of living. This masterpiece of Japanese renunciate writing exemplifies a medieval Japanese ethos colored by a pervasive mindfulness about the evanescence of existence.
These all-new translations are accompanied by the primary Japanese source texts, detailed scholarly annotations, original maps, and powerful illustrations by Reginald Jackson.
I am particularly enthusiastic about Reggie's illustrations, which breathe life into the accounts of life in premodern Kyoto. The parallel presentation of the original Japanese texts and English translations should make the book a useful teaching tool in kanbun or bungo classes.
Thanks for taking a look:
The companion website provides interactive digital resources, learning materials, images, and downloadable samples: www.vicuslusorum.com/solitude
よろしくお願いします。
Matthew Stavros, PhD
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