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Histories of Bodies is a collection of poems contemplating the many forms of loss.

What I liked:

• In my reflections on Nagai’s other works, I have been thinking of her as a nikkei writer, in spite of the fact that she appears to spend the majority of her time in Japan and, from what I gathered by reading Irradiated Cities, moves fairly easily through Japanese society. It is not that spending time in Japan or fitting into Japanese society are qualities mutually exclusive to being nikkei, but as I look at the breadth of Nagai’s works, I see a very different way of (potentially) being nikkei, compared to the majority of nikkei writers published in the US. I raise this point because some of the forms of loss Nagai touches upon in Histories of Bodies, particularly forms of loss linked to family members, made me think of loss, both physical and geographic (and chronological? linguistic? cultural?), as it is addressed by other nikkei writers. Many diaspora writers (including nikkei writers), dwell on themes of memory, identity, and the search for both in their works. Loss is also present, but when I compare Histories to works by other nikkei writers, I feel that Nagai positions herself as looking back in these poems, whereas other (but not all) nikkei writers anchor themselves firmly in the present and utilize looking back as a means of moving forward.

What I learned:

• It seems self-evident to say there are many forms of loss, but in reading Nagai’s poems, I found myself forced to contemplate exactly what forms loss might and does take. For example, Nagai’s contemplation of her mother’s body might function simultaneously as a “looking back” (after an assumed death) but also a “viewing in the moment,” a perception of infinitesimal but inexorable loss happening right before one’s eyes. Although the topic is not exactly uplifting, I appreciate Nagai’s thoughtful approach and I think it is worthwhile for us as nikkei writers to consider how Nagai’s poems might influence our perceptions of our own experiences.

Questions I had:

• In certain genres, are emerging writers encouraged to produce intensely personal/autobiographical pieces for their debut/early works? This does not apply simply to nikkei writers, but is a trend (is it a trend?) I have noticed with writers of color. I have never attended a writing workshop, but I wonder if it is also reflective of the types of narratives writers are encouraged (or feel themselves obligated?) to craft in a formal academic setting. At any rate, Histories, which is so far the earliest of Nagai’s works I have read, felt far more intimate and personal than her other works. I am actually glad I read Nagai’s other works first, since as a standalone, the poems in Histories were not as compelling to me as, for example, her work in Irradiated Cities. Taken together, I find I appreciate the intensely close-up emotions of Histories as a counter to the broadly sketched (but also close-up, in their own way) concepts underlying Nagai’s later works. I wonder, too, about the use of first/early works as a biographical foundation of sorts for writers working in certain genres, a sort of means to take that first decisive step in declaring yourself present. Do writers of color specifically feel a pressure (or are they encouraged by others – and are the others also people of color?) to establish themselves in this particular way, or in any particular way?

Follow-up:

• I believe Nagai’s next work is coming out in 2021 or 2022 and I am definitely looking forward to it!