"This curse, of times long gone, of now, must be set down with indelible ink and read out loud… If there is any hope, it is in the record; for evil prefers silence and withers in the telling."
I’m enjoying the journey… ancient Nara, the 16th century 100-year wars, down to the 1750’s publishing district of Shinbashi, learning woodblock printing, fashion and colour. On visits to the Ukiyo–the floating world–we meet customers and their imprisoned courtesans. On slow and fast trains and on foot, we see the sights of the nakasendo, the inland highway, and stay at its checkpoint inns. In Book One the yakuza, organised crime visit… ghosts past possess these narcissists in pursuit of the oldest prizes–lust, money, power. In Book Two, we meet a few good cops. I can't wait to share my personal experience of Tokyo tent theatre–the tragedy of a curse that takes hold; in Book Three we climb to the pilgrim hut, ghosts above Mt Ontake, on to Matsumoto Castle and return to Melbourne to a dénouement that startles even me. Curse is a new slow-burn saga told in the light of incendiary lamps.
I've been writing short and long-form fiction, play and cabaret text for decades. I have a particular interest in ghosts, dectectives, suspense and writing with clout. Some have called my writing literary, though I like Primo Levi who, when told his writing was poetic, replied that he was just trying to find the right word for the idea. That's been my approach…
The Cherrywood triology has occupied my time for more than a decade. It reflects my time working in theatre in Tokyo, where I perform speaking Japanese. A ghost story is never far from the theatre over there, so I think that has been an influence. So too my love of the metaphorical car chase that is seen in the rapid-fire delivery of text in the tent-theatre company with whom I've worked the most, Shinjuku Ryozanpaku.
I'd love to hear what you think of the Cherrywood series, the second book is coming very soon. 🎈
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