Comments on: Afterlife http://www.hungermtn.org VCFA Journal of the Arts Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:34:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Holly Parsons http://www.hungermtn.org/afterlife/comment-page-1/#comment-12070 Holly Parsons Thu, 30 Jun 2011 06:57:06 +0000 http://www.hungermtn.org/?page_id=1926#comment-12070 As the world once again faces the consequences of nuclear irresponsiblity on a massive scale - we are blessed by the heartwrenching courageous stories from survivors like Mr Katsuji. Every nuclear fission facility potentially exposes thousands in some cases millions of people to his fate or worse. Emissions from ground level reactors are a hundred times more devastating than the horror the US perpetrated on over 250,000 Japanese civilians in 1945. Ms Southards book is right on time to awaken populations living ....in every corner of the developed world, to this danger. Nuclear disarmament - within the context of global peace, must become our ultimate reality. As the world once again faces the consequences of nuclear irresponsiblity on a massive scale – we are blessed by the heartwrenching courageous stories from survivors like Mr Katsuji.
Every nuclear fission facility potentially exposes thousands in some cases millions of people to his fate or worse. Emissions from ground level reactors are a hundred times more devastating than the horror the US perpetrated on over 250,000 Japanese civilians in 1945. Ms Southards book is right on time to awaken populations living ….in every corner of the developed world, to this danger. Nuclear disarmament – within the context of global peace, must become our ultimate reality.

]]> By: Kathy Tweet http://www.hungermtn.org/afterlife/comment-page-1/#comment-4120 Kathy Tweet Tue, 10 Aug 2010 03:07:31 +0000 http://www.hungermtn.org/?page_id=1926#comment-4120 Susan, thank you for the timely “heads up” regarding the publication of NAGASAKI in 2012. This news is heartening to the many readers (currently and in the future) who will continue to derive inspiration and hope from a masterful piece of journalism that is becoming increasingly influential in motivating people to actively engage in furthering the cause of peace in a spirit of reconciliation, global understanding, and cooperation. The myriad issues surrounding this topic are large, complicated- and consequential; and, should be addressed (as you are doing) with moral seriousness and integrity. I’m most eager to follow your blog as you and your readers contribute comments and insights that will certainly enhance my appreciation of the efforts made by others in this most critical area of human commitment/endeavor. Throughout this day, with the painful recollection of the 65th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki in mind, I’m thinking of those precious survivors who, by their determined will to live; and, their abiding belief in the purpose of their lives, are teaching us the lessons that truly matter. The dignity with which they go forward, day by day, pays homage to those never-to-be-forgotten loved ones whose bodies perished; but, whose souls live on in the hearts of all who desire justice and peace. Not a day passes, since first having read his narrative that I don’t stop to think of Yoshida Katsuji- the sacrifices he has made, and, ultimately, the gift he has given us that is ours to keep, to cherish, to cultivate, and to share. Susan, thank you for the timely “heads up” regarding the publication of NAGASAKI in 2012. This news is heartening to the many readers (currently and in the future) who will continue to derive inspiration and hope from a masterful piece of journalism that is becoming increasingly influential in motivating people to actively engage in furthering the cause of peace in a spirit of reconciliation, global understanding, and cooperation. The myriad issues surrounding this topic are large, complicated- and consequential; and, should be addressed (as you are doing) with moral seriousness and integrity. I’m most eager to follow your blog as you and your readers contribute comments and insights that will certainly enhance my appreciation of the efforts made by others in this most critical area of human commitment/endeavor.
Throughout this day, with the painful recollection of the 65th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki in mind, I’m thinking of those precious survivors who, by their determined will to live; and, their abiding belief in the purpose of their lives, are teaching us the lessons that truly matter. The dignity with which they go forward, day by day, pays homage to those never-to-be-forgotten loved ones whose bodies perished; but, whose souls live on in the hearts of all who desire justice and peace. Not a day passes, since first having read his narrative that I don’t stop to think of Yoshida Katsuji- the sacrifices he has made, and, ultimately, the gift he has given us that is ours to keep, to cherish, to cultivate, and to share.

]]> By: SheLa Nefertiti Morrison http://www.hungermtn.org/afterlife/comment-page-1/#comment-3943 SheLa Nefertiti Morrison Sat, 24 Jul 2010 13:54:07 +0000 http://www.hungermtn.org/?page_id=1926#comment-3943 Dear Susan, author of "Afterlife" - I had to read this in five installments, because I kept bursting into tears and weeping. You have done such a stellar job of bringing this story that many of the younger generations do not know to life. Mr. Yoshida is an unforgettable human being on so many levels - especially his energy, joy, humor, resilience, and phenomenal courage. Reading all the comments your story got...I hope you will forward them on to Mr. Yoshida, so he can see how his brave daily decision to go forth and speak - and LIVE!! - is positively and powerfully affecting people all over the world (I am on Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada). He is tattooed in my mind. I'm sitting here with my beloved pet white rat, Tristan, who's an abuse survivor - he is an amputee - and I was struck my the horrendous things humans can do to each other and the beings of other species; then Tristan started to brux and boggle - (what ratties do when they are exceptionally content - they grind their teeth and their eyes go "boing-boing-boing!") - and I was immediately taken with our capacity for great kindness too...someone does terrible harm to someone and then, along comes another who rescues the harmed one, and great good comes around... Of course, your subject is very compelling, but also why this piece is a First-Prize winner to me, is how you wrote it: your sense of pacing is genius. Just like the most brilliant "monologue comics" (like Ellen DeGeneres and her phone call to God) are experts at pacing, so are you, in keeping this story moving along at a pace that is taut enough to bring urgency but not so tight as to crush the spirit with "T.M.I.!" (too much information)...and you are very much there in the story, but like the best journalists/ interviewers, you knew how much to respectfully step out of the way without disappearing altogether. Mr. Yoshida is the vessel; you are steering... Also, like one of your commenters, Kathy Tweet discussed...it is difficult to comprehend the bombardier...by NAMING him as you did, so simply, you put a face to this heinous crime yet you allowed it to sit in the context of (that) war, and again got out of the way enough to allow us to judge (or not) to the degree we feel it necessary (or not)...naming the bombardier was one of the most bone-chilling part of the story, actually. I've said enough. (Except - why did you refuse ice-cream with such a recommendation?!) Thank you. I bow... SheLa Dear Susan, author of “Afterlife” -

I had to read this in five installments, because I kept bursting into tears and weeping. You have done such a stellar job of bringing this story that many of the younger generations do not know
to life. Mr. Yoshida is an unforgettable human being on so many levels – especially his energy, joy, humor, resilience, and phenomenal courage.
Reading all the comments your story got…I hope you will forward them on to Mr. Yoshida, so he can see how his brave daily decision to go forth and speak – and LIVE!! – is positively and powerfully affecting people all over the world (I am on Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada). He is tattooed in my mind.
I’m sitting here with my beloved pet white rat, Tristan, who’s an abuse survivor – he is an amputee – and I was struck my the horrendous things humans can do to each other and the beings of other species; then Tristan started to brux and boggle – (what ratties do when they are exceptionally content – they grind their teeth and their eyes go “boing-boing-boing!”) – and I was immediately taken with our capacity for great kindness too…someone does terrible harm to someone and then, along comes another who rescues the harmed one, and great good comes around…
Of course, your subject is very compelling, but also why this piece is a First-Prize winner to me, is how you wrote it: your sense of pacing is genius. Just like the most brilliant “monologue comics” (like Ellen DeGeneres and her phone call to God) are experts at pacing, so are you, in keeping this story moving along at a pace that is taut enough to bring urgency but not so tight as to crush the spirit with “T.M.I.!” (too much information)…and you are very much there in the story, but like the best journalists/ interviewers, you knew how much to respectfully step out of the way without disappearing altogether. Mr. Yoshida is the vessel; you are steering…
Also, like one of your commenters, Kathy Tweet discussed…it is difficult to comprehend the bombardier…by NAMING him as you did, so simply, you put a face to this heinous crime yet you allowed it to sit in the context of (that) war, and again got out of the way enough to allow us to judge (or not) to the degree we feel it necessary (or not)…naming the bombardier was one of the most bone-chilling part of the story, actually.
I’ve said enough.
(Except – why did you refuse ice-cream with such a recommendation?!)
Thank you. I bow…

SheLa

]]> By: Ted http://www.hungermtn.org/afterlife/comment-page-1/#comment-2803 Ted Sat, 24 Apr 2010 21:53:16 +0000 http://www.hungermtn.org/?page_id=1926#comment-2803 I enjoyed the humor of the elder being interviewed. I have found with my Lakota elders that humor is a way of healing. Susan you have captured his humor brilliantly. I also noticed how you touched on his humility through his cultural greetings. And you painted a human picture on the atrocities of war. Congratulations. I enjoyed the humor of the elder being interviewed. I have found with my Lakota elders that humor is a way of healing. Susan you have captured his humor brilliantly. I also noticed how you touched on his humility through his cultural greetings. And you painted a human picture on the atrocities of war. Congratulations.

]]> By: Jim Lattin http://www.hungermtn.org/afterlife/comment-page-1/#comment-2515 Jim Lattin Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:41:48 +0000 http://www.hungermtn.org/?page_id=1926#comment-2515 "We need to pay attention to peace." Words to live by. “We need to pay attention to peace.” Words to live by.

]]> By: Mary Brown http://www.hungermtn.org/afterlife/comment-page-1/#comment-2294 Mary Brown Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:54:25 +0000 http://www.hungermtn.org/?page_id=1926#comment-2294 Susan, Thank you for this. So important and effective to reveal the person behind the event. Beautifully written--I gulped it down! Susan,

Thank you for this. So important and effective to reveal the person behind the event. Beautifully written–I gulped it down!

]]> By: Kathy Tweet http://www.hungermtn.org/afterlife/comment-page-1/#comment-2262 Kathy Tweet Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:19:16 +0000 http://www.hungermtn.org/?page_id=1926#comment-2262 Good Morning, Mr. Katsuji; and, To You As Well, Susan! I’ve returned to this site on Hunger Mountain- again and again- to reflect on the extraordinary life and legacy of Yoshida Katsuji; and, to note the timeliness of this powerful essay within the context of contemporary cultures. One only has to read this man’s narrative to be jolted out of the cynicism and doubt which, all too often, greet well-intentioned efforts at achieving an end to the global strife besetting our world today. For the courage and hope it engenders within me each day, for the lessons in humility so eloquently imparted, for the wisdom I continue to absorb…….There will always be a place in my heart for the rare literary piece that reveals- in such a vivid, straightforward manner- the integrity and dignity of the human spirit. Those jarring moments of honesty and truth which comprise this work serve to broaden my understanding, to quicken my conscience to take action, and to deepen my compassion for people the world over. ……And, of course, this essay prompts me to give ever-more serious consideration to the making of peace within my personal, albeit small, “sphere of influence”. A genuine and consistent fostering of good will within my heart creates a climate in which trust, hope, and faith will grow. The promoting of a tangible and unconditional peace, on a global scale, begins with envisioning it. To engage in the work of bringing peace to fruition is a daunting undertaking; and yet, it is work that ennobles the spirit of those who choose to engage in it. Were we, as a species, to attain it globally….What would peace look like? What would it sound, taste, feel, and smell like? I, as an individual, respond by taking the first steps in that “journey of a thousand miles”- pondering, along the way, the answers and consequences which inform this life-long questing for peace. And, in response to those perennial questions posed by members of humankind “since time immemorial”, I can only submit answers that reflect my personal experience- my likes and dislikes; those habits that (for better or worse) characterize and define me; my strongly-held convictions, preferences and prejudices; the familial customs, traditions, and beliefs passed down to me through generations; and, those ever-present biases that have their roots in the culture into which I was born. The achievement of peace as a reality is, ultimately, a complex process; and, there are as many perspectives on the topic- and conclusions arrived at- as there are people on the planet. I look forward to reading Nagasaki in its entirety. This excerpt from your book would be invaluable for inclusion in curricula world-wide; and, in courses offered throughout institutions of higher learning. The dynamic collaboration between you, which has resulted in such magnificent testimony, serves to contribute to the creation of an environment in which peace may flourish. Of incomparable worth in the lives of people for generations to come is that precious investment of time and energy devoted to the attainment of peace. No paid employment, labor, or occupation- for which we may prove to be intellectually qualified and/or temperamentally suited- will equal, in value, the bequest inherited by the soul that strives to achieve it. No commercial enterprise- however lucrative- will ultimately heal the wounds of embattled humanity. There is no more worthy goal toward which to direct our attention; for, peace is a means as well as an end. It is a way of being in the world. “Where have all the flowers gone?” laments the troubadour of the song protesting all wars in all places. Seedlings are germinating, at this very moment, within the rich and fertile soil of the human heart; and, they have the potential to blossom as incredibly beautiful, sturdy flowers if we take the time to nurture and cultivate them. Your work penetrates the cold and long darkness; and shines forth as a beacon of light ushering us forward as we make our slow, deliberate way across the besieged, war-weary landscape on the road toward a peace that will last……. …..And so, again, I bid you “Good Morning!” And, thank you for the dawning that has stirred my heart awake…… Good Morning, Mr. Katsuji; and, To You As Well, Susan!
I’ve returned to this site on Hunger Mountain- again and again- to reflect on the extraordinary life and legacy of Yoshida Katsuji; and, to note the timeliness of this powerful essay within the context of contemporary cultures. One only has to read this man’s narrative to be jolted out of the cynicism and doubt which, all too often, greet well-intentioned efforts at achieving an end to the global strife besetting our world today. For the courage and hope it engenders within me each day, for the lessons in humility so eloquently imparted, for the wisdom I continue to absorb…….There will always be a place in my heart for the rare literary piece that reveals- in such a vivid, straightforward manner- the integrity and dignity of the human spirit. Those jarring moments of honesty and truth which comprise this work serve to broaden my understanding, to quicken my conscience to take action, and to deepen my compassion for people the world over.
……And, of course, this essay prompts me to give ever-more serious consideration to the making of peace within my personal, albeit small, “sphere of influence”. A genuine and consistent fostering of good will within my heart creates a climate in which trust, hope, and faith will grow. The promoting of a tangible and unconditional peace, on a global scale, begins with envisioning it. To engage in the work of bringing peace to fruition is a daunting undertaking; and yet, it is work that ennobles the spirit of those who choose to engage in it. Were we, as a species, to attain it globally….What would peace look like? What would it sound, taste, feel, and smell like? I, as an individual, respond by taking the first steps in that “journey of a thousand miles”- pondering, along the way, the answers and consequences which inform this life-long questing for peace. And, in response to those perennial questions posed by members of humankind “since time immemorial”, I can only submit answers that reflect my personal experience- my likes and dislikes; those habits that (for better or worse) characterize and define me; my strongly-held convictions, preferences and prejudices; the familial customs, traditions, and beliefs passed down to me through generations; and, those ever-present biases that have their roots in the culture into which I was born. The achievement of peace as a reality is, ultimately, a complex process; and, there are as many perspectives on the topic- and conclusions arrived at- as there are people on the planet.
I look forward to reading Nagasaki in its entirety. This excerpt from your book would be invaluable for inclusion in curricula world-wide; and, in courses offered throughout institutions of higher learning. The dynamic collaboration between you, which has resulted in such magnificent testimony, serves to contribute to the creation of an environment in which peace may flourish.
Of incomparable worth in the lives of people for generations to come is that precious investment of time and energy devoted to the attainment of peace. No paid employment, labor, or occupation- for which we may prove to be intellectually qualified and/or temperamentally suited- will equal, in value, the bequest inherited by the soul that strives to achieve it. No commercial enterprise- however lucrative- will ultimately heal the wounds of embattled humanity. There is no more worthy goal toward which to direct our attention; for, peace is a means as well as an end. It is a way of being in the world.
“Where have all the flowers gone?” laments the troubadour of the song protesting all wars in all places. Seedlings are germinating, at this very moment, within the rich and fertile soil of the human heart; and, they have the potential to blossom as incredibly beautiful, sturdy flowers if we take the time to nurture and cultivate them. Your work penetrates the cold and long darkness; and shines forth as a beacon of light ushering us forward as we make our slow, deliberate way across the besieged, war-weary landscape on the road toward a peace that will last…….
…..And so, again, I bid you “Good Morning!” And, thank you for the dawning that has stirred my heart awake……

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