How far into your discovery and review of your father's documents did you envision writing a book?
It was actually my grandfather's stuff (not just documents) that I discovered. My decision came within a few months of the discovery, somewhere between August and Mid-December 2017.
Do you have plans to donate the documents to a university so historians can embark on their own research?
No, but I will make them all available on a website connected with the book's publication.
In advance of our communal reading, are there any books, documentaries or films that would provide important background information that would enhance our Fire Agent experience?
I think you should start with the book. It is a novel, meant to stand on its own without any special knowledge. I will include my reading list on the website, but it'll be pretty long, and for the most part, a pretty dry collection.
Are you aware of the recently released book, Judgment at Tokyo: World War ll on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia by Gary Bass?
Yes, though he touches only glancingly on the themes and circumstances in mine. They are very, very different books.
Given sensitivities among Japan, China, and Korea related to Japan's Wll atrocities, have you unearthed any information that might not go down well in certain quarters? I've mentioned that my uncle, Peter Young, was a survivor of the Bataan Death March but he died in the POW camp in the Philippines. Like you, I have inherited a wealth of documents and correspondence related to his time before the Japanese invasion as well as papers between my grandmother and the War Department while he was MIA.
Yes. It will undoubtedly bother some people. As I'm sure you know, there is a tremendous effort underway in Japan to deny or underplay many of its military actions both leading up to and following WWII. It will probably bother some Americans, Italians, Germans and Swiss, too.
Is a book tour on the horizon? If so, the Boston/Cambridge crowd would be a natural audience for you, and Reg and me!
I'm sure that a book tour will happen, and probably lectures and presentations, etc, where I'll show a lot of pictures and the like, but there are rivers to cross before that moment, including five more weeks of writing, another major pass from my editors, a legal examination in case I've inadvertently violated any legal boundaries, typesetting, art, and production. The publisher is Spiegel and Grau, and the editors are Aaron Robertson and Cindy (Celina) Spiegel. Aaron is a brilliant young author, editor, and translator, and Cindy is, well, she's a legend, who's edited books ranging from the Kite Runner to Kurt Cobain's diaries, to Orange Is The New Black, and countless others.
Many thanks for providing us with so much advance information. This forum that Dan created may well provide the most in-depth and thoughtful conversations related to your novel.
My pleasure! And I welcome discussions.
Peter T.
