Todd Shimoda's Writer's Blog
ENTRY
2020 Year in Review
December 31, 2020
Well, that was weird.
I didn't post once in 2020, so I thought I'd get this in under the wire. I thought about posting something along the way, but it just seemed insignificant compared to all that was going on. I hope you all have managed to survive or even thrive.
Personally, I got a lot of writing done: finished the 4th or 5th iteration of Antonio & Isaac (The Annotated Account of Phillipe Wolf, Composer and Spy), finished the 1st draft of a new novel (tentatively titled Autumn Wind, Weeps), started a couple of other novels, edited a book to be published by Chin Music Press (Annie Connole's The Spring), among other odds and ends.
In 2021, I hope to get the new novels in the publication stage, and finish at least one new one. I hope we are well along in (at least semi) control of the pandemic to be able to travel to promote the books. Or just to do a couple of writer's retreats.
Publishing in general seemed to be in flux during the year, with social and cultural changes, the end of face-to-face promotions, the struggles of independent bookstores under lockdown,and shifts in the big publishers. We lost some big names in publishing, those who I've read: John le Carrè, Rudolpho Anaya, Mary Higgins Clark, Gail Sheehy, Maj Showall.
Once again, I promise to post regularly this coming year. I'm also promising to redo my website-a makeover, I mean! Happy New Year all.
December 31, 2020
Well, that was weird.
I didn't post once in 2020, so I thought I'd get this in under the wire. I thought about posting something along the way, but it just seemed insignificant compared to all that was going on. I hope you all have managed to survive or even thrive.
Personally, I got a lot of writing done: finished the 4th or 5th iteration of Antonio & Isaac (The Annotated Account of Phillipe Wolf, Composer and Spy), finished the 1st draft of a new novel (tentatively titled Autumn Wind, Weeps), started a couple of other novels, edited a book to be published by Chin Music Press (Annie Connole's The Spring), among other odds and ends.
In 2021, I hope to get the new novels in the publication stage, and finish at least one new one. I hope we are well along in (at least semi) control of the pandemic to be able to travel to promote the books. Or just to do a couple of writer's retreats.
Publishing in general seemed to be in flux during the year, with social and cultural changes, the end of face-to-face promotions, the struggles of independent bookstores under lockdown,and shifts in the big publishers. We lost some big names in publishing, those who I've read: John le Carrè, Rudolpho Anaya, Mary Higgins Clark, Gail Sheehy, Maj Showall.
Once again, I promise to post regularly this coming year. I'm also promising to redo my website-a makeover, I mean! Happy New Year all.
COMMENTS
Number of comments: 2
click here to add a comment
Lee W
Happy New Year, best wishes on your writing and all else!
Todd
Thanks Lee, and the same for you!
click here to add a comment
Lee W
Happy New Year, best wishes on your writing and all else!
Todd
Thanks Lee, and the same for you!
ARCHIVE
date (comments)
"The Testaments" and Nan A. Talese
February 8, 2021 (0)
2020 Year in Review
December 31, 2020 (2)
2019 Review
December 26, 2019 (0)
IT Haiku 1969
July 16, 2019 (0)
IT Haiku #5
March 1, 2019 (0)
2018 review and into 2019
January 4, 2019 (0)
IT Haiku #4
February 16, 2018 (0)
IT Haiku #3
January 12, 2018 (0)
2017 recap, including Kobo Abe and The Scofield
December 28, 2017 (1)
IT Haiku #2
November 27, 2017 (0)
IT Haiku # 1
November 20, 2017 (2)
Review: Moshi, Moshi by Banana Yoshimoto
April 13, 2017 (2)
First Annual Little Tokyo Book Festival
September 1, 2016 (2)
Review: Tales of Old Tokyo
April 13, 2016 (0)
LA Times Festival of Books
April 4, 2016 (1)
Review: The Translation of Love
February 14, 2016 (1)
Review: Holy Ghosts: The Christian Century in Modern Japanese Fiction
October 7, 2015 (1)
Review: Japanese Literature - From Murasaki to Murakami
September 25, 2015 (1)
Review: The Book of Tokyo
August 28, 2015 (1)
"Why Ghosts Appear"
July 7, 2015 (2)
Review: The Game of 100 Ghosts
March 31, 2015 (1)
Editing, editing, editing
October 30, 2014 (1)
Review: Light and Dark
July 30, 2014 (2)
Review: Landscape with Traveler
June 30, 2014 (1)
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
April 30, 2014 (2)
Review: Triangle
March 30, 2014 (5)
Review: The Guest Cat
February 28, 2014 (2)
2013: Year in review
December 30, 2013 (6)
Review: Jasmine
November 30, 2013 (1)
Review: The Case of the Sharaku Murders
September 30, 2013 (2)
A well-realized voice
August 31, 2013 (1)
How to find a publisher
July 30, 2013 (2)
Review: Kiku's Prayer
June 30, 2013 (1)
Review: The Goddess Chronicle
May 28, 2013 (2)
Review: Paprika
April 21, 2013 (3)
Review: A Straight Road With 99 Curves
March 30, 2013 (1)
Gripping writing
February 28, 2013 (2)
Review: Salvation of a Saint
January 19, 2013 (2)
2012 in review
December 30, 2012 (2)
Review: Ninja
September 30, 2012 (2)
Review: My Postwar Life
August 21, 2012 (1)
New interview with Colin Marshall
July 15, 2012 (3)
Book events
April 25, 2012 (2)
Subduction
March 14, 2012 (8)
Review: A Room Where the Star Spangled Banner Cannot Be Heard
January 14, 2012 (1)
Review: Plainsong
December 20, 2011 (3)
Review: The Devil's Disciple
November 29, 2011 (2)
Haruki Murakami
October 5, 2011 (2)
Busyness and demons
September 25, 2011 (2)
Characters: The Bully
July 30, 2011 (3)
Review: Manazuru
June 28, 2011 (2)
Deadlines!
June 24, 2011 (2)
Review: Butterfly's Sisters
May 18, 2011 (1)
Review: Isle of Dreams
April 20, 2011 (2)
Cades Award for Literature press release
April 12, 2011 (2)
Japan and other news
March 29, 2011 (1)
Borders bankruptcy
February 17, 2011 (2)
2010 review
December 17, 2010 (6)
Congratulations Mario Vargas Llosa
October 7, 2010 (2)
OH! wins best book award
September 23, 2010 (2)
Review: Kissing the Mask
August 22, 2010 (1)
Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins
July 12, 2010 (2)
Review: Love in Translation
June 22, 2010 (3)
Jose Saramago
June 18, 2010 (0)
Marketplace of Ideas interview
June 11, 2010 (2)
Imagining Memory
May 6, 2010 (1)
Upcoming Los Angeles events
April 7, 2010 (2)
Time and energy
March 30, 2010 (2)
Review: Botchan
February 28, 2010 (2)
J.D. Salinger
January 28, 2010 (1)
2009 Reviewed
December 31, 2009 (5)
Review: The Word Book
December 12, 2009 (1)
Chaat and Chat event with OH!
November 6, 2009 (2)
Home at last
November 2, 2009 (2)
Los Angeles events
October 17, 2009 (1)
Poets and poetry
October 7, 2009 (1)
Time + place
September 24, 2009 (1)
The future of books
September 23, 2009 (1)
October book tour
September 6, 2009 (1)
Blogging at Powell's Books
August 28, 2009 (2)
The evolution of an idea
August 3, 2009 (3)
The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey
July 9, 2009 (2)
Tour debrief
July 2, 2009 (3)
Book tour events
May 18, 2009 (3)
Simply in the mood
April 24, 2009 (2)
Book tour
April 8, 2009 (6)
The Necessary Book
March 2, 2009 (2)
"Murder Makes the Magazine"
February 7, 2009 (3)
John Updike
January 27, 2009 (2)
2008 misc. (good news, bad news)
January 1, 2009 (3)
Publishing woes and query letters
December 13, 2008 (4)
Punctuation compunction
November 16, 2008 (3)
The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas)
October 10, 2008 (2)
David Foster Wallace
September 14, 2008 (2)
Ending it all
September 12, 2008 (2)
The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries
August 29, 2008 (3)
Blocking out the block
August 20, 2008 (3)
"What kind of books do you write?"
August 8, 2008 (2)
Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4
July 21, 2008 (3)
Show and tell
July 14, 2008 (3)
Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3
July 7, 2008 (7)
Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me)
June 30, 2008 (6)
Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2
June 18, 2008 (3)
To be or not to be
June 10, 2008 (6)
Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1
June 3, 2008 (6)
Virtual unreality
May 31, 2008 (4)
The purpose of this blog
May 21, 2008 (5)
"The Testaments" and Nan A. Talese
February 8, 2021 (0)
2020 Year in Review
December 31, 2020 (2)
2019 Review
December 26, 2019 (0)
IT Haiku 1969
July 16, 2019 (0)
IT Haiku #5
March 1, 2019 (0)
2018 review and into 2019
January 4, 2019 (0)
IT Haiku #4
February 16, 2018 (0)
IT Haiku #3
January 12, 2018 (0)
2017 recap, including Kobo Abe and The Scofield
December 28, 2017 (1)
IT Haiku #2
November 27, 2017 (0)
IT Haiku # 1
November 20, 2017 (2)
Review: Moshi, Moshi by Banana Yoshimoto
April 13, 2017 (2)
First Annual Little Tokyo Book Festival
September 1, 2016 (2)
Review: Tales of Old Tokyo
April 13, 2016 (0)
LA Times Festival of Books
April 4, 2016 (1)
Review: The Translation of Love
February 14, 2016 (1)
Review: Holy Ghosts: The Christian Century in Modern Japanese Fiction
October 7, 2015 (1)
Review: Japanese Literature - From Murasaki to Murakami
September 25, 2015 (1)
Review: The Book of Tokyo
August 28, 2015 (1)
"Why Ghosts Appear"
July 7, 2015 (2)
Review: The Game of 100 Ghosts
March 31, 2015 (1)
Editing, editing, editing
October 30, 2014 (1)
Review: Light and Dark
July 30, 2014 (2)
Review: Landscape with Traveler
June 30, 2014 (1)
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
April 30, 2014 (2)
Review: Triangle
March 30, 2014 (5)
Review: The Guest Cat
February 28, 2014 (2)
2013: Year in review
December 30, 2013 (6)
Review: Jasmine
November 30, 2013 (1)
Review: The Case of the Sharaku Murders
September 30, 2013 (2)
A well-realized voice
August 31, 2013 (1)
How to find a publisher
July 30, 2013 (2)
Review: Kiku's Prayer
June 30, 2013 (1)
Review: The Goddess Chronicle
May 28, 2013 (2)
Review: Paprika
April 21, 2013 (3)
Review: A Straight Road With 99 Curves
March 30, 2013 (1)
Gripping writing
February 28, 2013 (2)
Review: Salvation of a Saint
January 19, 2013 (2)
2012 in review
December 30, 2012 (2)
Review: Ninja
September 30, 2012 (2)
Review: My Postwar Life
August 21, 2012 (1)
New interview with Colin Marshall
July 15, 2012 (3)
Book events
April 25, 2012 (2)
Subduction
March 14, 2012 (8)
Review: A Room Where the Star Spangled Banner Cannot Be Heard
January 14, 2012 (1)
Review: Plainsong
December 20, 2011 (3)
Review: The Devil's Disciple
November 29, 2011 (2)
Haruki Murakami
October 5, 2011 (2)
Busyness and demons
September 25, 2011 (2)
Characters: The Bully
July 30, 2011 (3)
Review: Manazuru
June 28, 2011 (2)
Deadlines!
June 24, 2011 (2)
Review: Butterfly's Sisters
May 18, 2011 (1)
Review: Isle of Dreams
April 20, 2011 (2)
Cades Award for Literature press release
April 12, 2011 (2)
Japan and other news
March 29, 2011 (1)
Borders bankruptcy
February 17, 2011 (2)
2010 review
December 17, 2010 (6)
Congratulations Mario Vargas Llosa
October 7, 2010 (2)
OH! wins best book award
September 23, 2010 (2)
Review: Kissing the Mask
August 22, 2010 (1)
Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins
July 12, 2010 (2)
Review: Love in Translation
June 22, 2010 (3)
Jose Saramago
June 18, 2010 (0)
Marketplace of Ideas interview
June 11, 2010 (2)
Imagining Memory
May 6, 2010 (1)
Upcoming Los Angeles events
April 7, 2010 (2)
Time and energy
March 30, 2010 (2)
Review: Botchan
February 28, 2010 (2)
J.D. Salinger
January 28, 2010 (1)
2009 Reviewed
December 31, 2009 (5)
Review: The Word Book
December 12, 2009 (1)
Chaat and Chat event with OH!
November 6, 2009 (2)
Home at last
November 2, 2009 (2)
Los Angeles events
October 17, 2009 (1)
Poets and poetry
October 7, 2009 (1)
Time + place
September 24, 2009 (1)
The future of books
September 23, 2009 (1)
October book tour
September 6, 2009 (1)
Blogging at Powell's Books
August 28, 2009 (2)
The evolution of an idea
August 3, 2009 (3)
The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey
July 9, 2009 (2)
Tour debrief
July 2, 2009 (3)
Book tour events
May 18, 2009 (3)
Simply in the mood
April 24, 2009 (2)
Book tour
April 8, 2009 (6)
The Necessary Book
March 2, 2009 (2)
"Murder Makes the Magazine"
February 7, 2009 (3)
John Updike
January 27, 2009 (2)
2008 misc. (good news, bad news)
January 1, 2009 (3)
Publishing woes and query letters
December 13, 2008 (4)
Punctuation compunction
November 16, 2008 (3)
The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas)
October 10, 2008 (2)
David Foster Wallace
September 14, 2008 (2)
Ending it all
September 12, 2008 (2)
The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries
August 29, 2008 (3)
Blocking out the block
August 20, 2008 (3)
"What kind of books do you write?"
August 8, 2008 (2)
Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4
July 21, 2008 (3)
Show and tell
July 14, 2008 (3)
Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3
July 7, 2008 (7)
Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me)
June 30, 2008 (6)
Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2
June 18, 2008 (3)
To be or not to be
June 10, 2008 (6)
Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1
June 3, 2008 (6)
Virtual unreality
May 31, 2008 (4)
The purpose of this blog
May 21, 2008 (5)