SAN JOSE — Frank Abe will discuss his book “John Okada: The Life and Rediscovered Works of the Author of ‘No-No Boy’” on Saturday, June 15, at 1 p.m. at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, 535 N. Fifth St. in San Jose Japantown.
Co-edited by Abe, Greg Robinson and Floyd Cheung, this book is a compelling collection that offers the first full-length examination of the author’s development as an artist, placing recently discovered writing by Okada alongside essays that reassess his lasting legacy.
Meticulously researched biographical details, insight from friends and relatives, and a trove of intimate photographs illuminate Okada’s early life in Seattle, military service, and careers as a public librarian and a technical writer in the aerospace industry. This volume is an essential companion to “No-No Boy.”
There is currently a controversy surrounding the novel. Dorothy Okada, the author’s widow, had signed publication rights over to University of Washington Press, which has printed the book for years, but a new editoin has been released by Penguin Classics, which claims that the novel is in the public domain and was never copyrighted in the U.S. See details in a recent New York Times article.
A limited number of copies of “John Okada” will be available for purchase and signing for $25, an event discount from the $29.95 list price.
Abe is a journalist, producer of the PBS documentary “Conscience and the Constitution,” and co-author of a forthcoming graphic novel on camp resistance, “We Hereby Refuse” (Chin Music Press, 2020). He grew up in the Santa Clara Valley and graduated from Cupertino High School and UC Santa Cruz.
Admission: Free for JAMsj members and kids under 8; $8 general admission; $5 for seniors (65+) and students.
RSVP to (408) 294-3138 or PublicPrograms@jamsj.org.