John Okada
Subtitle: the life & rediscovered work of the author of No-no boy
By: edited by Frank Abe, Greg Robinson, and Floyd Cheung
Contributors: Okada, John
Series: Scott and Laurie Oki series in Asian American studies; Scott and Laurie Oki series in Asian American studies
Published: 2018
Language: eng
Number of pages: 365
ISBN-13: 9780295743523; 9780295743516; 9780295743530
Copyright date: 2018
Subjects: Criticism and interpretation
Other titles: John Okada :
Description: No-No Boy, John Okada's only published novel, centers on a Japanese American who refuses to fight for the country that incarcerated him and his people in World War II and is cast out by his divided community. The novel faced a similar rejection until is was rediscovered and reissued in 1976, becoming a classic of American literature. As a result of Okada's untimely death at age forty-seven, the author's life and other works have remained obscure. This collection offers the first full-length examination of Okada's development as an artist, placing recently discovered writing by Okada alongside essays that reassess his legacy. Meticulously researched biographical details, insight from friends and relatives, and a trove of photographs illuminate Okada's life in Seattle, military service, and careers as a public librarian, technical writer, and ad man. This volume is an essential companion to No-No Boy--back cover.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 345-354) and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction: saying "No! no!" to the community narrative / Frank Abe; title: A note on the texts; title: The life of John Okada; title: "An urgency to write" / Frank Abe; title: Unknown works by John Okada. I must be strong; title: When in Japan: a comedy in one act; title: What can I do?; title: Without solace; title: Skipping millions; title: The silver lunchbox; title: Here's proof!; title: The high cost of proposals and presentations; title: The technocrats of industry; title: Essays on John Okada and his writings. John Okada's rediscovered writings: experiments in form and approaches to the absurd / Floyd Cheung; title: A seed in a devastated landscape: John Okada and midcentury Japanese American literature / Greg Robinson; title: Questioning No-no boy: text, contexts, and subtexts / Stephen H. Sumida; title: False constructions of loyalty: the real resistance against incarceration / Martha Nakagawa; title: Contesting Japanese American identity: a literature review of No-no boy / Jeffrey T. Yamashita; title: Republishing and teaching No-no boy / Shawn Wong; title: Nightsong in Asian America / Lawson Fusao Inada; title: Afterword / Frank Abe.