CRAZY FOR KANJI: PAST EVENTS
The following events all took place in 2009, the same year the book was first published.
Oakland Museum's Lunar New Year Festival
January 25, Oakland, CA: Oakland Museum, 1000 Oak St.
I had a "Fun with Kanji" table at the Oakland Museum's Lunar New Year festival. Apparently, there was a shot of me in that capacity on the evening news! I also blogged about it on JapanesePod101.
Festival of Kanji and Book Launch Party
March 7, Albany, CA: Kasuga Restaurant, 938 San Pablo Ave.
The Festival of Kanji and Book Launch Party was a great deal of fun. Nearly 100 people came! One guest was writer Anneli Rufus, who described the festivities very nicely in an East Bay Express blog post. I also blogged about it on JapanesePod101.
Nikkei Matsuri (Japanese-American Festival)
April 26, San Jose, CA: Jackson St. between Fourth and Sixth Sts.
The Nikkei Matsuri (Japanese-American Festival) features one author each year who has written something reflecting Japanese culture. In 2009, I got to be that author! I sat at the info. booth, selling and signing books.
Asian Pacific American Heritage Celebration
May 9, San Mateo, CA: Asian Pacific American Heritage Celebration, San Mateo Central Park Recreation Center, 50 East 5th Ave.
I was at an outdoor booth at the Asian Pacific American Heritage Celebration.
Soko Gakuen (Japanese-Language School) Signings
July 6, 8, and 11, San Francisco, CA: Soko Gakuen, 1881 Pine Street
Book signings at Soko Gakuen, a premier school where adults and children can learn to master Japanese. (I attended for two years. Three classes in particular gave me a very firm grasp of kanji.)
San Francisco Asian Art Museum Event
August 2, 10 a.m.–1 p.m., San Francisco, CA: Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St.
I did a multimedia event at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum, focusing on kanji related to samurai (so as to tie in with the museum's samurai exhibit). My event featured a video about the kanji for samurai weapons, as well as kanji in words revealing samurai philosophies. People enjoyed receiving temporary kanji tattoos, drawing kanji on magic paper, playing a kanji sudoku game from Crazy for Kanji, taking Verbal Logic Quizzes, and touching objects with raised kanji. There are photos on the museum's Flickr site.
East West Bookstore Presentation
August 27, 7:30 p.m., Mountain View, CA: East West Bookstore, 324 Castro St.
I gave a presentation about the joy of getting lost in the infinitude of the kanji world, where the deeper you go, the more there is to learn!
Jan Ken Po Gakko Arts and Crafts Fair
September 26, 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m., Elk Grove, CA (near Sacramento): Jan Ken Po Gakko Arts and Crafts Fair, Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation (SASF) Facility, 9040 High Tech Court
I was a vendor at a festival featuring Asian-American arts and crafts.
Eastwind Books Presentation
November 14, 3 p.m.–4 p.m. Berkeley, CA: Eastwind Books, 2066 University Ave.
I gave a slideshow and talk about the fun of getting lost on kanji trails.
Chaat and Chats with Authors and Artists
Sat., December 5, 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m., Berkeley, CA: Taste of the Himalayas, 1700 Shattuck Ave. at Virginia St.
I organized "Chaat and Chats with Authors and Artists: A Holiday Fair Featuring Autographed Books and Direct-from-the-Artist Gifts." More than 30 vendors participated, and people deemed the event a success. Hamro Samaj, a site for the Nepalese community of Northern California, made a 9-minute video of the event, interviewing me and several other vendors. Gives a nice sense of the vibe of the event.