Ruth Ozeki - Mesa County Libraries

a novel by
Ruth Ozeki
KKCO
for complete event information visit guides.mesacountylibraries.org/onebook
FIVE-MINUTE GUIDE TO ONE BOOK
THE BOOK
MEET RUTH OZEKI
NOVELIST, FILMMAKER,
AND ZEN BUDDHIST
PRIEST VISITS GRAND
JUNCTION MARCH 1
Ruth Ozeki is the daughter of a Japanese mother and a
Caucasian-American father, born and raised in Connecticut. She
attended Smith College and graduated with degrees in English
Literature and Asian Studies. She received a Japanese Ministry of
Education Fellowship to pursue graduate work in classical Japanese
literature at Nara Women’s University. During her years in Japan,
she worked in Kyoto’s entertainment or “water” district as a bar
hostess, studied Noh drama and mask carving, founded a language
school, and taught on the faculty of Kyoto Sangyo University.
In 1985, Ozeki returned to New York City and started a film career
as an art director, designing sets and props for low-budget horror
movies. She then switched to television production, directing
documentaries for Japanese TV. In 1994, she started making her
own films. Body of Correspondence (1994) won the New Visions
Award at the San Francisco Film Festival and was broadcast on PBS.
Halving the Bones (1995), an award-winning autobiographical
film, was screened at the Sundance Film Festival, the Museum of
Modern Art, the Montreal World Film Festival and the Margaret
Mead Film Festival, among others.
Her first novel, My Year of Meats, was published in 1998 by
Viking Penguin. A sexy, poignant, funny tale about global meat
OB A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING
and media production, My Year of Meats tells the story of Jane
and Akiko, two women on opposite sides of the planet, whose
lives are connected by a TV cooking show. Selected as a New York
Times Notable Book, My Year of Meats was translated into eleven
languages and published in fourteen countries. It won the Kiriyama
Pacific Rim Award, the Imus/Barnes and Noble American Book
Award, and a Jury Prize of the World Cookbook Awards in Versailles.
Ozeki’s second novel, All Over Creation (Viking Penguin, 2003)
shifts the focus from meat to potatoes in a story of a family farmer,
his prodigal daughter, an itinerant gang of environmental activists
and a New Age corporate spin doctor whose lives and interests
collide in Liberty Falls, Idaho.
Again a New York Times Notable Book, All Over Creation is
the recipient of a 2004 American Book Award from the Before
Columbus Foundation, as well as the WILLA Literary Award for
Contemporary Fiction.
In 2006, Ozeki received an honorary doctorate from Smith
College. She has been a contributor to the New York Times op-ed
page, and her essays and short fiction have appeared in a number
of anthologies. She frequently speaks at colleges and universities.
Ozeki serves on the Creative Advisory Council of Hedgebrook, a
women’s writing retreat center on Whidbey Island, Washington,
and on the Advisory Editorial Board of The Asian American Literary
Review. Starting in 2015, she will be the Elizabeth Drew Professor
of Creative Writing at Smith College.
A longtime meditator, Ozeki was ordained as a Soto Zen priest
in 2010. She is affiliated with the Brooklyn Zen Center and the
Everyday Zen Foundation, and is the editor of the Everyday Zen
website. She is married to the German-Canadian environmental
artist Oliver Kellhammer. A dual citizen of Canada and the United
States, she splits her time between Cortes Island, British Columbia,
and New York City.
Ruth Ozeki’s novel, A Tale For the Time Being, begins with a
classic premise — found treasure. Instead of gold or jewels, the
treasure in this book takes the form of a Hello Kitty lunchbox.
Inside it are an old watch, a packet of letters, and a diary.
This unassuming parcel washes up on the shore of a small
island in the Pacific Northwest. There it is found by Ruth, a
woman who bears more than a passing resemblance to Ruth
Ozeki herself. This Ruth is a writer too, but on this adventure she
takes on the role of a reader. The diary she finds turns out to be
that of a teenage girl living in Japan. Her name is Nao.
Being a teenager is never an easy proposition, but Nao is
having a particularly hard time. Her family has returned to
Japan after living for an extended time in the United States. Nao
is finding it hard to reconnect with the culture of Japan, she is
bullied and ostracized at school, and to make matters worse, her
unemployed father is suicidally depressed. Her diary is her refuge
as she pours her story into it, imagining somewhere a potential
reader, a friend — Ruth, me, you.
As we read Nao’s diary and get to know this bright and
engaging young woman, a troubling question looms: If the diary
is here, where is Nao? The answer to that question is as surprising
as it is fitting. Along the way this novel touches on language, the
environment, history, war, Zen, feminism, philosophy and, just
for good measure, a dash of magical realism as well.
Told in chapters that alternate between Ruth’s point of view
and Nao’s, A Tale For the Time Being entwines their two worlds
in ways that grow both increasingly complex and increasingly
beautiful.
A diary may be a fairly ordinary thing, but in the hands of
Ozeki it becomes extraordinary.
2013 BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST
DON’T MISS THESE ONE BOOK EVENTS
EVENT
SCHEDULE
JAN 29 – OUT OF OUR CONTROL? NATURAL DISASTERS
6 p.m., Wednesday, Central Library Community Room
Tsunamis, hurricanes, and severe storms regularly threaten coastlines and populations
around the world. Most disasters are out of our control. Some are caused by us: nuclear
disasters, garbage gyres in the ocean. Don Lorhammer, Instructor of Geology at Colorado
Mesa University, who teaches weather and oceanography; Joe Ramey, National Weather
Service meteorologist; and Jared Robinson, weatherman at KKCO, discuss these issues.
FEB 2 – MOVIE SERIES
1:30 p.m., Sunday, Central Library Community Room
Explore the themes of A Tale For The Time Being through film. Visit the One Book website or
your local branch for movie description and title.
FEB 4 – JAPANESE COOKING: SUSHI, BEFORE AND BEYOND
6 p.m., Tuesday, Central Library Community Room
Sukiyaki, anyone? For decades, Japanese food has lured us to restaurants, recipe books and
shelves of Asian food in the grocery stores. Christopher Boyd, chef/owner of No Coast Sushi,
will whet our appetites with a demonstration of contemporary Japanese cooking along with
facts about culinary traditions and trends.
This year’s One Book event lineup is packed with programs that bring A Tale
For The Time Being to life. From unpredictable weather to spiritual exploration,
each program explores a theme of the book and adds depth and understanding
to this year’s selection.
Learn about Japanese art forms – including anime, manga, origami, and
calligraphy – from artists Charles Hardy, Mitzi Sato-Wiuff, and Rhiannon and
Mario Morales. Learn about the delicacies of sukiyaki from sushi chef and owner
of No Coast Sushi Christopher Boyd.
All One Book programs are open to the public at no charge and, unless noted,
take place in the Central Library Community Room.
IMAGES
1 Mezzotint by Charles Hardy
2 Christopher Boyd prepares octopus at
his restaurant, No Coast Sushi
3 Clockwork Fantasia by Mitzi Sato-Wiuff
4 Along Came a Spider by Mitzi Sato-Wiuff
FEB 9 – MOVIE SERIES
1:30 p.m., Sunday, Central Library Community Room
Explore the themes of A Tale For The Time Being through film. Visit the One Book website or
your local branch for movie description and title.
FEB 11 – HOW TO TUESDAY: ORIGAMI AND CALLIGRAPHY
6 p.m., Tuesday, Central Library Community Room
Intricacy and elegance seem to define both the Japanese art of paper folding known as
origami and the writing of the Japanese alphabet. Try your hand at both, with Rhiannon and
Mario Morales guiding you. Rhiannon is a fine arts instructor and artist. Mario is a former
Japanese exchange teacher.
FEB 13 – ANIME, MANGA, AND JAPANESE YOUTH CULTURE
6 p.m., Thursday, Central Library Community Room
Charles Hardy, Professor Emeritus of Art and former chair of the department at CMU, spent
years studying Japanese art both from home and in Japan. Mitzi Sato-Wiuff is a local artist
from Japan whose work is inspired by fantasy and anime/manga. Learn how Japanese art
forms have thrived and influenced art in our country as well.
FEB 16 – MOVIE SERIES
1:30 p.m., Sunday, Central Library Community Room
Explore the themes of A Tale For The Time Being through film. Visit the One Book website or
your local branch for movie description and title.
FEB 18 – WALKING WITH BUDDHA
6 p.m., Tuesday, Central Library Community Room
Followers of the teachings of Buddha are growing in number across the globe, including
western Colorado. Learn more from Rick Anderson, Zen Buddhist monk and part-owner of
Yoga West Collective; Anne Saunders, longtime Buddhist practitioner and student; and Susie
Harrington, Buddhist meditation teacher and head of Desert Dharma in Moab, Utah.
FEB 23 – MOVIE SERIES
1:30 p.m., Sunday, Central Library Community Room
Explore the themes of A Tale For The Time Being through film. Visit the One Book website or
your local branch for movie description and title.
FEB 25 – COMMUNITY BOOK DISCUSSION
6 p.m., Tuesday, Central Library Community Room
FEB 1 — PALISADE BRANCH DISCUSSION
10 a.m., Saturday, Palisade Branch Library
FEB 11 — CLIFTON BRANCH DISCUSSION
3 p.m., Tuesday, Clifton Branch Library
FEB 15 — DE BEQUE BRANCH DISCUSSION
11 a.m., Saturday, De Beque Branch Library
FEB 15 — ORCHARD MESA BRANCH DISCUSSION
2 p.m., Saturday, Orchard Mesa Branch Library
FEB 20 — COLLBRAN BRANCH DISCUSSION
7 p.m., Thursday, Collbran Branch
FEB 22 — FRUITA BRANCH DISCUSSION
10 a.m., Saturday, Fruita Branch Library
FEB 25 — COMMUNITY BOOK DISCUSSION
6 p.m., Tuesday, Central Library Community Room
Join other members of the community to discuss the book, with facilitators to keep the
conversation going.
FEB 26 – A LITERARY APPROACH: A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING
Event sponsored by the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
6 p.m., Wednesday, Central Library Community Room
A Tale for the Time Being was recently chosen as one of the top five picks for the prestigious
Man Booker Prize. What makes this novel notable and interesting to read? Get the opinions
of Dr. Julie Barak, Professor of English, CMU; Dr. Brenda Wilhelm, Professor of Sociology,
CMU; and Laurena Mayne Davis, Marketing Director and book columnist, Grand Junction
Daily Sentinel.
MARCH 1 – AUTHOR PRESENTATION AND BOOK SIGNING
7 p.m., Saturday, Grand Junction High School Auditorium
Hear author, filmmaker, and Zen Buddhist priest Ruth Ozeki talk about A Tale for the Time
Being. Note the new venue. There is no charge for this event. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Steering Committee
Angie Allen, co-chair
Lois Becker, co-chair
Donna Bettencourt
Esther Broughton
Betsy Brodak
Lynn Silipigni Connaway
Sarah Cron
Betsey Dick
TJ Gerlach
David Goe
Laura Mettauer
Janine Rider
Barbara Roberts
Special thanks to…
Barnes & Noble
Dufford, Waldeck,
Milburn & Krohn
Friends of the
Mesa County Libraries
Laurena Mayne Davis
Priscilla Mangnall
Five 60 Salon
Contact One Book through Mesa
County Libraries, 970-243-4442, or visit
www.mesacountylibraries.org.
10 BOOKS – 10 AUTHORS
100 PROGRAMS AND THOUSANDS OF READERS
SHARE YOUR ONE
BOOK MEMORIES
LEAVE YOUR FAVORITE MOMENTS ON
THE ANNIVERSARY MEMORY BOARD
What’s your favorite memory…Jonathan Safran
Foer speaking of his writing process to an engaged
audience? The 1930s fashion show from Rules of
Civility? The Marley & Me Pet Parade on Main Street?
Share your favorite One Book memories with us.
Before each of our programs, movies and discussion
groups, you’ll have the chance to write your favorite
memory and add it to the One Book, One Mesa County
10th Anniversary Memory Board. Look for the board in
the Central Library Community Room.
One Book, One Mesa County thanks you, our faithful readers, for a
decade of stimulating literary company.
Thanks to Mesa County’s wonderful readers, One Book has enjoyed
10 successful years and has become a signature event for Mesa County
Libraries. You have supported reading in our community with your
thoughtful discussions, insightful questions and strong attendance at
programs. From our first book, Bless Me, Ultima, which featured Chicano
culture and folk medicine, to last year’s The Dog Stars, with its exploration
of a post-apocalyptic Colorado, we have journeyed around the world and
have discussed themes such as grief, love, tragedy, honor and happiness.
We love your enthusiasm when you ask us “What’s next year’s book?”
One Book, One Mesa County believes that a community that reads
together grows together. We have all grown together in each other’s
company. We are thankful for our first 10 years and look forward to the
many years ­– and books – to come.
RESERVE YOUR COPY
A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING IS
AVAILABLE IN MULTIPLE FORMATS.
PICK UP YOUR COPY TODAY.
This year we’ve made it easier than ever to snag a copy of the 2014 One Book selection,
A Tale For The Time Being. The book is available in multiple formats from Mesa County
Libraries, including:
• Hardback and paperback (over 150 copies available)
• CD audiobook
• Downloadable audiobook
• Downloadable ebook
KKCO
Reserve your copy of A Tale For The Time Being online at www.mesacountylibraries.org
or by visiting one of eight library locations throughout Mesa County. For more information
about reserving your copy of A Tale For The Time Being, call 970-243-4442.
for complete event information visit guides.mesacountylibraries.org/onebook