Hello readers!
Last week in our ASTU class, we got the chance to take a look at Joy Kogawa’s fonds in UBC’s Rare Books Library. We got to look at folders and folders of archives including first drafts of Kogawa’s work, letter of recommendation, reader fan letters, scholarly articles, and many other documents concerning Kogawa’s novel, ‘Obasan’. It was my first time in an archival library and I was really intrigued by the amount of documents, as well as the type of content in the primary sources that Kogawa had donated to UBC. When you look at any novel, it is natural to see it as a singular and individualized entity of an author’s thoughts. However, this is far from the truth as every published text derives from some sort of inspiration or event, and undergoes numerous revision processes. The collection of archives at this library allowed me to look at ‘Obasan’ as not only a novel, but as a combination of many stories and memories surrounding Canada’s internment of the Japanese. Just like the Joy Kogawa’s fonds, Kogawa introduces various perspectives and primary sources into ‘Obasan’, that although may be fictional, still reflect the circumstances that exist apart from Naomi’s single narrative. One of my main takeaways from the field trip was the amount of similarity between the various types of files in the fonds and the written style of Obasan. Both the fonds and the novel contain fragments of various different overlapping perspectives that give the content its meaning and importance. For instance, in the fonds there were many fan letter addressed to Kogawa, showing the rippling impact that ‘Obasan’’s story had on its readers. One reader, named Michael S. Hiranuma, beautifully described his experience with reading ‘Obasan’ as “unearthing a rare gemstone at a point in my life where I needed to find a bit of treasure”.
Some of the documents in the archives were rejection letters and editor notes, which are an essential part to any published work. In one example, an editor argued that ‘Obasan’ should focus less on the historical aspects of Japanese internment, and further develop the plot around Naomi’s story. However, I would argue that Kogawa made an effective decision in choosing to include other sources such as letters and government documents in her novel. I think that Kogawa’s purposeful choice in not letting Naomi’s story to be the ultimate focus of ‘Obasan’ relates to the importance of theme we’ve been discussing in ASTU about the dangers of producing only one story. It is important to remember that collective and cultural memories are comprised of a collection of perspectives rather than one singular one. As emphasized with the visit to the Rare Books Library, there are often various layers to any form of storytelling, whether it’s writing a novel, or personally reflecting about a past event. Thus, Naomi’s presence, which is neither overpowering or vague, provides the perfect balance between the macro level of events and traumas surrounding Japanese Internment in Canada, and the more individualized and personal issues that derived from it.
Overall, looking at the tiny universe created by Kogawa in ‘Obasan’ and comparing it to the large scale of people it has impacted really emphasizes the collective nature of the novel. Visiting the Rare Books Library after reading ‘Obasan’ was a great experience because it provided me with a really tangible feeling of the power behind a single narrative, and I will definitely be coming back for future research and exploration.
Thank you for reading!
Works Cited:
Kogawa, Joy. Letter to Obasan. 23 Nov. 1993. Box 156 File 9. Joy Kogawa fonds. University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada.