Hello Readers!

Recently our ASTU class spent time interacting and engaging with the UBC archives. The archives are a place where UBC collects historical original documents that have been sent in by donors and authors.The trip was structured for us to view and interact with the obtained material regarding Joy Kogawa’s novels: Obasan and Naomi’s Road (we recently read Obasan in class). Unsurprisingly, the trip unearthed a few realizations about the whole literary process. For starters, simply being in the room with the original information laid out in front us was incredibly humbling. Being able to visualize the amount of effort and work that goes into a novel was astonishing. Amongst the items for viewing was positive and negative feedback, rejection letters, correspondence, rough drafts, and much more. Throughout this experience three things distinctly stood out, the extensive process behind a book, the character of Kogawa, and her grasp on her novel.

Reading the rejection letters instilled me with an increased sense of respect towards Kogawa. Oftentimes you hear about the resilience required for authors to follow through with a novel, but actually seeing what the rejection looks like puts a whole new face to the topic. To put so many long hours into a piece of work only to have an editor condemn it by saying, “we see problems with the marketing of this story” (from: Janet Turnbull, Rejection Letters, Box 70 File 1). Something so simple yet so deflating for Kogawa to be reading. This impressed me, Kogawa must have read numerous rejection letters and just took them in her stride and moved on. The archives present a unique opportunity, to be able to visually see and touch these materials makes everything more realistic and humanizes the author. It makes authors seem less like machines producing well crafted sentences, and more like people writing and labouring over a story. The passion becomes more evident when you can see the process in such an interactive way.

Certain sections of the archives showed different things, one area showed us the negative and positive feedback for the novel. In these areas we were presented with a new perspective to the book. Being able to see all the different views and interpretations on the novel made me re-evaluate how I looked at it. It showed a level of expertise both on the critics end, by dissecting the book so diligently, and Kogawa’s side, by being resolute in her vision of the novel.

In addition to Kogawa’s resilience, the archives gave me a look into her story writing abilities. Before the archives I wasn’t aware that she had adapted Obasan into the children’s book Naomi’s Road. I found out about this adaptation through the readers correspondence. Reading them instilled me with an additionally increased amount of respect for Kogawa. The kids who read Naomi’s Road were all big fans and had some adorable things to say to Kogawa. What impressed me about this was that Kogawa was able to recreate such an advanced and emotionally intense story for such a young audience, whilst still receive such a positive response. The responses did leave me with a couple of questions though for Kogawa: in the recreation of the novel what parts did you leave out specifically? In one of the responses I learned that the main characters mother was never revealed to have been bombed, how did Kogawa deal with this in a children’s book? Mark Nonkes was clearly curious too, he asked, “I wonder about did Naomi’s mom ever come back?” (from: Mark Nonkes letter to Kogawa, Box 28 File 3)

In the age where everything is accessible by media we often forget the beauty and complexities behind a piece of writing. Above all else, this is what resonated with me the most. It’s easy to look past how much work and time goes into a piece of writing when the only interaction you have with it writing is reading it. Being in the archives gave us an opportunity to dissect and experience the text to a much deeper level.

Thanks for reading,

Isaiah

Sources:

Nonkes, Mark. Letter from Mark Nonkes to Joy Kogawa. 18 April 1990. Box 28 File 3. Joy Kogawa Fonds. University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada

Turnbull, Janet. Rejection Letter from Janet Turnbull. 22 May 1980. Box 70 File 1. Joy Kogawa Fonds. University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada