Reverberations from Fukushima: 50 Japanese Poets Speak Out

by Leah Stenson (Editor)

Overview

This anthology conveys the enormity of Fukushima, the first nuclear disaster of the 21^st Century, on both the environmental and human scale. Contributions by Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr. Helen Caldicott, Fairewinds Energy Education founder Maggie Gundersen, and professor emerita Dr. Norma Field discuss the nuclear disaster in the context of social, political, and environmental concerns. Poems by 50 Japanese poets portray the disaster from a personal perspective, including prophetic visions of a nuclear future, the plight of nuclear refugees, the relationship of exploiters and the exploited in Japan's nuclear power industry, and the deception by which nuclear power was sold to an anti-nuclear Japan. Truly an eye-opening read.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781736283219
Publisher:	Parkdale Press LLC
Publication date:	03/11/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	120
Sales rank:	826,788
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

After earning an M.A. in English Literature, Leah Stenson worked in New York City in the editorial departments of Hawthorne Books and School Library Journal. Pursuing a spiritual quest to deepen her understanding of Buddhism, she moved to Tokyo in 1977 where she spent sixteen years raising a family and teaching English at a Japanese university. After returning to the United States, she served as managing director of Oregon Peace Institute, worked as a freelance editor, and served on the boards of several nonprofit arts and literary organizations. Leah is the author of three books of poetry and a hybrid memoir, and co-editor of two poetry anthologies. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Remarks about Editing the Translations	xi
Preface—Leah Stenson	xiii
COMMENTARY
On Publication of the American Edition—Jotaro Wakamatsu	3
Making the World an "Open House"—Hisao Suzuki	10
The Power of Imagination—Asao Sarukawa Aroldi	17
ESSAYS
Ten Lessons from Chernobyl and Fukushima—David Krieger	23
Thoughts on the First Nuclear Disaster of the 21st Century—Francesca Giovannini	26
FIFTY POEMS BY 50 POETS	33

Editorial Reviews

This collection of poems is essential reading, as are the essays. I wept reading this book and you will too.

-Melissa Tuckey, editor of Ghost Fishing: An Eco-Justice Poetry Anthology

Poetry speaks the language of the heart, and this is the language of peace and justice. One cannot read these poems without feeling the very real threat posed by the so-called "peaceful" uses of nuclear power.

-David Krieger, President Emeritus, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

The poems and essays featured in the book help us fathom the unfathomable and understand the injustice inherent in nuclear power from a deeply human perspective.

-Kelly Campbell, Executive Director, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility

The human health toll of environmental radiation exposure extends far beyond thyroid damage. Obfuscation of this truth constitutes an unforgiveable wrong against those irretrievably harmed by these exposures.

-Trisha T. Pritikin, The Hanford Plaintiffs: Voices from the Fight for Atomic Justice

From the Publisher