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Silk

Chapter Six—Okei: Star Stories

Okei Ito hated mosquitos. In the California inaka, they seemed to swarm everywhere, breeding in water collected in surrounding ditches. In these same ditches, old ...

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Silk

Chapter Five—Kuninosuke Masumizu: Lightning in a Bottle

“Kuni, place your bet,” the miner said, first in English and then in his native Portuguese. Kuninosuke Masumizu, called Kuni in this nighttime gambling den ...

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Silk

Chapter Four—Kintaro and the Magic Koi

Serve the shogun with single-minded devotion.       —Aizu samurai code of conduct Kintaro Ikeda was alone in this world, but that was not always the case ...

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Silk

Chapter Three—Neko-chan

Nozomi chased her black cat through the fields of Wakamatsu Colony in Gold Hill. She still was not allowed to bring the cat inside of ...

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Silk

Chapter Two—Wheelbarrow Wars

Shinshi-san went into her second bedroom, the one filled with mulberry leaves, and checked on the status of her silkworms. Hundreds of white skinny caterpillars ...

culture en

Silk

Chapter One—Jou Schnell: Keeping House

Jou Schnell looked out her window of her small four-room, wood-framed house on Gold Hill. Through the walnut trees, dappled light streamed onto the dew-covered ...

culture en

ニッケイを見いだす：詩のコラム

What spirits whisper...

This month we are treated to two highly-lauded, accomplished writers and community heroes – Naomi Hirahara and Stan Yogi. Their pieces step out of each writer ...

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Killer Roll

Chapter Twelve — Family Ties

“Just give it to me, Maki.” I hear Carrie’s voice behind me. I’m so relieved that she, Som, and Crowe have arrived. She ...

culture en

Iced in Paradise - An Interview with Author Naomi Hirahara on her Upcoming Release

Naomi Hirahara, Japanese-American writer and Los Angeles local, is known for her thrilling (and award-winning) mystery novels featuring not only Asian American protagonists, but the ...

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Killer Roll

Chapter Eleven — How to Sharpen a Knife

One of the first things Yudai, my boss at the sushi bar, taught me was how to properly sharpen my knife. He uses the traditional ...