Last day of 2015. Just about gone in the Far East, hours to go here in the West. It’s been a busy year of shifting priorities both personally as well as elsewhere. As usual, nothing new about that. Form’s the same, content changes, it’s like knowing a person is delusional and leaving it at that rather than getting into the delusion.
Personally, I finished my book on Indian immigration to North America, and that’ll be out in April, 2016. Wrote numerous pieces about Japanese culture for a wide array of publications: Travel + Leisure, Gastronomica, The Boston Globe, Whisky Advocate, Beer Advocate, Robb Report, KarryOn. Wrote a booklet on the artisans of Ishikawa that will be published in April, 2016. Completed a solid draft of my book about family life. Got started a smidge on research for a book about the Plainfield race riots of 1967.
The dog is fine. The cat’s good.
Reading picked up to two books a week, and many were memorable, chiefly Ferrante, Knausgaard, and Houellebecq. As well as lots by Japanese novelists and cultural critics of Japan.
New seats for the Celtics. “Homeland” ended the season on a bittersweet note.
What am I looking forward to in 2016? More good books to read and write. A little jazz. Spring, of course.