In 1961, author Irving Stone wrote a fictionalized biography of Michelangelo called The Agony and the Ecstasy. He was making the circuit to promote his book. He appeared on an afternoon talk show where he described his research into the life of Michelangelo. His aim, he said, was to be as historically accurate as possible and he wanted the setting to be correct. He said: I want to know the color of the bedspread in Michelangelo’s bedroom....
“E” could be for English, which is a language of elegance. In one sense, English is my third language, as it was the third language I learned, but it is my primary language now, so it is my first language. Over the years I have come to appreciate the elegance of English–rich in shades of meaning. Roots that draw deep from other languages. A tapestry. The language of Shakespeare. As I write the Yamabuki saga, ~1200 C....
Introducing the reader to an unfamiliar constructed world takes patience, care, and research.
“The Pillow Book of a Samurai,” has been long in coming. I have been thinking on the main character, Yamabuki, for some time now. It’s a genre that is narrow and under served, at least in my view – heroic women who are more than superficial characters. I have been working at this, off and on, for a number of years, with my day job usually pushing away writing time....
This photograph was taken over a century ago. The young woman is wearing samurai gear. Thus, it was not just during the Gempei War that women saw themselves as warriors.