Writing
"The Dark Lady" (The Rumpus)
by Janet Pocorobba, January 2017
Ava brought bubbles just when I needed them: champagne smiles, frothy laughter, and a lathering of thoughts as she stroked the arm of our red velvet settee. “William,” she said to my husband one early spring evening at sherry hour, pointing to a silver dish of cashews. “I want to do something different on the stage.”…Read More
"Reading Mademoiselle Gantrel" (The Rumpus)
by Janet Pocorobba, May 2016
Mademoiselle Gantrel appears in my mind from time to time, snow-capped and distant, like the Alps. Arriving at our house at Smith College for evening cocktails, she stamps snow from her high leather boots, shakes the fat flakes from her beret and steps up into the house, turning right toward the lights and laughter, to the long living room where Katie, another freshman, and I are waiting for her with glasses of sherry and clove cigarettes. Mlle finds us, smiles her half-smile, and plucks a filterless Gaulois from her pack… Read More
The Fourth String: A Memoir of Sensei and Me
by Janet Pocorobba
Part memoir, part biography of her Sensei, The Fourth String looks back on the initial few years of that apprenticeship, one that Janet’s own female English students advised her was “wife training,” steeped in obedience, loyalty, and duty. Even with her maverick teacher, Janet is challenged by group hierarchies, obscure traditions, and the tricky spaces of silence in Japanese life.
"Freedom Within Bounds: A Conversation with Donald Richie" (Kyoto Journal)
by Janet Pocorobba, April 2014
Unlike many writers on Japan, Donald Richie advances no social theories. He has, after all, made the country his home for more than fifty years. What Richie offers instead of a “take” on Japan is the sensitive eye and heart of a passionate, fair-minded man. His intimate profiles, whether of famous or unknown people, are equally rich in engrossing detail… Read More
"Confessions of a Writing Book Junkie" (The Writer)
by Janet Pocorobba
I moved to Adamant, a Vermont “micro-village” eight miles north of the state capitol of Montpelier, not because I am a foodie or want to make artisanal cheeses. I’m not looking for schools because I have no kids. I’m not a hippie or back-to-the lander. I have no idea how to start a garden and often kill houseplants through sheer neglect…Read More
by Janet Pocorobba, March 2010
Read here, courtesy of your local library.
Media
Arlington Author Salon
Reading on July 9th, 2020.
You can find Janet featured 30 minutes in, but we also welcome you to enjoy all of the artists.
This video was created in coordination with Arlington Community Media, Inc. in Arlington, MA. ACMi is dedicated to providing an electronic forum for the free exchange of information and ideas which reflect the talents, skills, interests, concerns, and diversity of the Arlington, Massachusetts community.
"Impressively well written with a distinctive narrative storytelling style, The Fourth String is an inherently fascinating, thoughtful, and compelling read."
"This memoir provides a picture of the ever present tension between the traditional and modern in Japan. It also provides great detail on the learning and playing of Japanese traditional music."
"A detailed and intimate portrayal of the relationship between two women."
"The Fourth String reconfigures the typical Japan fish-out-of-water memoir into a meditation on music and mastery, relationships, culture and narrative."