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Janet Pocorobba

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Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Janet Pocorobba on the show! Janet is a former features writer and editor at Metropolis magazine in Tokyo, whose memoirs, essays and reviews have appeared in many notable publications such as The Rumpus, The Writer, and Kyoto Journal. She is the author of the memoir, The Fourth String: A Memoir of Sensei and Me, which is now available. In the memoir Janet shows the relationship between her and her sensei in the initial years of her apprenticeship learning to play the shamisen, a three-stringed Japanese instrument. So listen in as Janet and I chat about this awesome book and how to defy writing structures both in the classroom and on the page.   In this episode Janet and I discuss:  Presenting the self in relation to others in a memoir. How training in music gives you structure and form for your writing. The role absence plays in a narrative. Using the practice method to grow your craft. The relationship between the word mind and the content mind.  Plus, Janet’s #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/247

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Janet Pocorobba on the show! Janet is a former features writer and editor at Metropolis magazine in Tokyo, whose memoirs, essays and reviews have appeared in many notable publications such as The Rumpus, The Writer, and Kyoto Journal. She is the author of the memoir, The Fourth String: A Memoir of Sensei and Me, which is now available. In the memoir Janet shows the relationship between her and her sensei in the initial years of her apprenticeship learning to play the shamisen, a three-stringed Japanese instrument. So listen in as Janet and I chat about this awesome book and how to defy writing structures both in the classroom and on the page.   In this episode Janet and I discuss: <ul> <li>Presenting the self in relation to others in a memoir.</li> <li>How training in music gives you structure and form for your writing.</li> <li>The role absence plays in a narrative.</li> <li>Using the practice method to grow your craft.</li> <li>The relationship between the word mind and the content mind.</li> </ul> Plus, Janet’s #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: <a href="https://diymfa.com/podcast/episode-247-janet-pocorobba" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DIYMFA.com/247</a>

247: Defying the Western Narrative - Interview with Janet Pocorobba

It took Janet Pocorobba 15 years to write "The Fourth String: A Memoir of Sensei and Me," a biography of a non-traditional Japenese sensei teaching a very traditional instrument and an autobiography of the author's immersion into Japanese culture. In this episode, she talks about the challenges of writing about real people and how Japan changed her life. Janet teaches is the associate professor and associate director of Lesley University's MFA in Creative Writing program. Her work has been published in the Rumpus, Harvard Review, The Writer, Kyoto Journal, Indiana Review, The Journal, Provincetown Arts, Metropolis, American Athenaeum, and others. Jana Van der Veer conducts the interview. See a photo of Janet from her Japan days and hear her play the shamisen on our episode page.

It took Janet Pocorobba 15 years to write "The Fourth String: A Memoir of Sensei and Me," a biography of a non-traditional Japenese sensei teaching a very traditional instrument and an autobiography of the author's immersion into Japanese culture. In this episode, she talks about the challenges of writing about real people and how Japan changed her life. Janet teaches is the associate professor and associate director of Lesley University's MFA in Creative Writing program. Her work has been published in the Rumpus, Harvard Review, The Writer, Kyoto Journal, Indiana Review, The Journal, Provincetown Arts, Metropolis, American Athenaeum, and others. Jana Van der Veer conducts the interview. See a photo of Janet from her Japan days and hear her play the shamisen on <a href="https://lesley.edu/article/risky-memoir-writing-with-janet-pocorobba" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our episode page</a>.

Risky memoir writing with Janet Pocorobba