2007年8月30日 星期四

立原正秋 Masaaki Tachihara

立原正秋 Masaaki Tachihara ...

食道癌で死去する2ヶ月前に、ペンネーム「立原正秋」への改名が認められ、これが本名になる。

美食家としても有名だったが、小島政二郎の美食随筆に対しては「味なんか何も分らない人だ」と徹底的にこきおろした。

The novelist Masaaki Tachihara (1926-1980), known for his dignified style, once wrote about his pen name. Most of his mail would be addressed to his pseudonym, but on rare occasions, a letter would arrive bearing his real name. When that happened, he would stare long and hard at his real name, and feel strange, thinking, "Who on earth is that?" I remember it went something like that.


Tachihara's first novel, Bakushu (Autumn Wheat) was published in the literary magazine Bungei Kenkyukai. It was well received by literary critics, which led to his decision to become a professional writer. In 1958, he published Tanin no Jiyu (Other People's Freedom) in the magazine Gunzo, followed by Takigi Noh and Tsurugi-ga-saki.

He won the 55th Naoki Award for his novel Shiroi Kesho ("White Poppy", 1965), as well as being nominated for the Akutagawa Prize twice. One of his books, Wind and Stone, translated into English by Stephen W. Kohl, is highly appreciated in the West.

Tachihara's interests in Japanese culture led to his becoming a collector of ceramics including many Korean Yi Dynasty works. He lived in Kamakura, Kanagawa prefecture from 1950 until his death of esophageal cancer. Before he died, he officially changed his name to Tachihara Masaaki. His grave is at the temple of Zuisen-ji in Kamakura.


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