Mirror: The Fiction and Essays of Koda Aya

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments This book is based on parts of my dissertation at the University of Michigan. A Fulbright-Hays Fellowship made it possible for me to pursue research in Tokyo and to interview Köda Aya. While in Japan, I benefited immeasurably from the resources of the Nihon Kindai Bungakkan and the National Diet Library. The support of Oberlin College and Case Western Reserve University assisted me at later stages of research and revision. A grant from the Kajiyama Publication Fund provided a subvention toward the publication of this book. Ködansha granted permission to publish the photograph of Köda Aya. Sharon Yamamoto and Masako Ikeda at the University of Hawai‘i Press were fantastic to work with, and I am extremely grateful to have had Don Yoder copyedit this book. I would also like to thank my colleagues in East Asian Studies at Oberlin College for their camaraderie and encouragement. Finally, I owe special thanks to several other people. Hiroshi Miyaji first introduced me to Köda Aya’s writings, and the late Robert Danly showed great and unlimited enthusiasm for my choice of topics. I am particularly grateful to Aoki Tama for her kindness and support. I would like to thank especially Ken Ito, Marvin Marcus, Noborio Yutaka, Oketani Hideaki, Katie Sparling, Esperanza Ramirez-Christensen, Sue Sherif, and Alan Tansman, who read earlier drafts. I deeply appreciate the encouragement, criticism, companionship, and good humor of many colleagues, friends, and family, especially Maggie Childs, Janet Ikeda, Kurita Akiko, Momokawa Takahito, Ginny Morrison, Sharalyn Orbaugh, Jim Reichert, Joan Sherif, the Uzawas, and the Wilsons. Thanks to Carolyn and Muzafer for giving me two books that they didn’t write—the Webster’s Dictionary and The Joy of Cooking. It is with great pleasure and joy that I dedicate this book to Len Smith and Ian Wilson. ...