The Modern Murasaki

This volume is a valuable contribution to the field of Japanese studies. The selections are excellent, as is the quality of the translation. Although the editors and authors are scholars of literature, they have selected for translation the very texts that historians would most like to see. These translations are the opening wedge that allows us to think beyond the stereotypical images of women in Meiji Japan. -- Sally Hastings, associate professor of history and chair, Asian Studies Program, Purdue University The Modern Murasaki ensures that future discussions of Meiji literature in the English-speaking world cannot ignore the presence of women writers and readers. The volume's accessible style and the liveliness of the translations will win readers with a general interest in Japan or, more broadly, in women's writing in Asia. -- Jan Bardsley, associate professor of Japanese humanities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Brings the imagination of women's writing from the Meiji period to English-language readers. Along with traditional prose selections, this anthology features short stories, plays, poetry, speeches, essays, and personal journal entries. It includes an introduction to each reading; and an index listing historical, social, and literary concepts.The first anthology of its kind, The Modern Murasaki brings the vibrancy and rich imagination of women's writing from the Meiji period to English-language readers. Along with traditional prose, the editors have chosen and carefully translated short stories, plays, poetry, speeches, essays, and personal journal entries. Selected readings include writings by the public speaker Kishida Toshiko, the dramatist Hasegawa Shigure, the short-fiction writer Shimizu Shikin, the political writer Tamura Toshiko, and the novelists Miyake Kaho, Higuchi Ichiyo, Tazawa Inabune, Kitada Usurai, Nogami Yaeko, and Mizuno Senko. The volume also includes a thorough introduction to each reading, an extensive index listing historical, social, and literary concepts, and a comprehensive guide to further research. The fierce tenor and bold content of these texts refute the popular belief that women of this era were passive and silent. A vital addition to courses in women's studies and Japanese literature and history, The Modern Murasaki is a singular resource for students and scholars.