Your preface to Ocean Beach mentions that you started writing poetry when you were a librarian and had been assigned to select books for the poetry section. How long ago was this and did you have any earlier efforts at writing poetry?
Well, I started working as a librarian in the Literature department of the San Francisco Public Library in June 1966 and I was assigned the poetry section in 1968. That's when I started to write "poems." Before that, I wrote some short pieces (more like prose poems) for the AMERICAN BUDDHIST, which I edited from 1957-65. Some of these earlier pieces are in Ocean Beach.

Did you get most of your poetry education from just reading good and bad poems and do you have any favorites among the poetry books that you reviewed? Do you model your style on any particular poets?
I was an English major at UCLA for two years before I switched to "Oriental Languages." So I've read a lot of early English poetry.

Offhand, my favorite poets are William Carlos Williams and of course Gary Snyder. If I try to copy anyone it's Gary Snyder. He is a master. I just like how and what he sees. He deals with concrete, observed objects and situations.

How do you evaluate poetry - what constitutes a good poem? Is it like music and up to the tastes of the individual?
The easy answer to this is that it's up to the individual's taste. If more people like a poem, then it must be a good poem.

Many poems are like abstract paintings and hard for many people to grasp - is it an acquired taste, do we need to be trained to appreciate these poems? Many people I know treat poetry like chopped liver and shy away from it without giving it a try. What can be done to make poetry more accessible to the masses?
Very often I read a poem and I don't get it. But that's okay. I read it for the use of the words or if read aloud, the sound of the words. Or why the poet decided to write the particular poem.

I don't want to generalize the whole Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) community, but are many of them missing the boat when it comes to poetry? We tend to see the stereotypes of APIAs tending towards the technical fields and not as much towards the humanities like literature and poetry. Do you think I'm off the mark on this and if not, what can be done to stem the tide?
I don't know much about the contemporary APIA community so I'll skip this question except to say that one should give literature and poetry a try. Read my stuff--it's easy and it's fun.

The Ocean Beach preface mentions that you feel that poetry is best when it just happens. I often find the stories behind the creation of artistic endeavors fascinating. Can you give us an example of the genesis of one or more of your poems?
Some poems were written by other people, especially children. I was just there with big ears to record them. Examples are: "Cello," "Luis Hiroshi, " "Merry Christmas." The genesis of another poem--"Separation."

Once I was asked by a Buddhist priest to accompany him to a funeral home where he conducted the last rites of a Japanese war bride. The only other person was the woman's husband, a large American. I was there as a surrogate mourner and observer. I was struck by what I saw and recorded it.

People familiar with your poetry may best know your works dealing with the Japanese American Internment and your World War II experience - tell us a little bit about these poems and how they came about.
The camp poems--"A Meeting at Tule Lake" is probably my most famous poem. I've read it so many times. I guess it's the emotion in it that makes it work. It was written while riding on the bus at night going to Tule Lake for the first time in over 30 years. When we arrived early in the morning the poem was complete. I made another copy that I could read and I don't think I changed even a word.

I like "Radio Station KOBY in Medford, Oregon." I think it tells a lot about life in camp--the tedium, the conflicts, and the danger.

Tell us about your book Ocean Beach - what's the oldest and newest poem in this collection? Do you have a favorite?
I once spent a weekend at Yosemite and the result of that experience were my earliest pieces--"At Tuolumne" (my favorite), "Mirror Lake," "Man." The later poems are: "For Manong Al Robles," " Morning Walk, " "Mortality," "For Ryo Kashiwagi."

Which poem from your collection, would you like to share with everyone? Tell us a little bit about this poem.
I would like to share "Mortality" and "For Ryo Kashiwagi." Hoshi, our Shiba-inu was euthanized last year and my baseball-playing brother passed away on Nov. 2, 2008. Both represent a void in my life.

Thank you very much.

Order Your Copy of Ocean Beach Below

This January 16 at 2pm, we will hold our 6th Annual Poetry in San Mateo Day. We're moving the event back to the intimate surroundings of our store on 3rd Ave.

Poetry in San Mateo Day was originally started by AACP for the purpose of promoting Asian and Pacific Islander American poets. January was chosen for the month of this event because in many Asian cultures, poetry is traditionally the first writing done at the beginning of the year.

This year our poetry event will also doubling as a book release celebration for our newly published book Ocean Beach by Hiroshi Kashiwagi. Come and hear awarding winning author Hiroshi Kashiwagi read from his wonderful new book.

Hiroshi Kashiwagi is a noted poet, playwright, actor, and retired librarian. His book Swimming in the American won the American Book Award and his book Shoebox Plays, a collection of Hiroshi's plays, has also receiving critical praise. Come hear Hiroshi read from his wonderful new book.

We also encourage all attendees to come with their own penned poems. Anyone that reads their own poems or poems by their favorite Asian or Pacific Islander American will get 20% off any one item in our store.

For Ryo Kashiwagi
(March 24, 1924 - November 2, 2008)
Home run! the crowd implored
whenever you came to bat,
forgetting for a moment
the barbed wires, the sentry
and the tedium.
A mighty swing
and you obliged-
the ball hit too far
to catch up,
as you circled the bases.
Indeed another home run!
Now you are the ball
hit too far to catch up,
the crowd faintly calling
your name.

31 Dec. '08