Storyteller

Storyteller, Genie Nakano's newest book of tanka, is a magnificent book filled with poems that take readers on a magical journey through East L.A., Southeast Asia, and Europe that transcends any exact place and time. Through lyrical writing, Nakano's tanka breathes new life into the ancient Japanese poetic form. The book reads like a journal in which each poem brings new emotion, new feeling, and new insights into not only Genie's life, but also into each reader's life journey. One example of the many beautiful tanka included in the book: sing to me sweet bird of happiness so small in stature yet your song holds up the sky Just as the little bird's song can have such strength, so too, do each of Genie's short tanka poems have tremendous emotional power. This volume showcases numerous tanka, as well as tanka chain collaborations with other tanka poets, and tanka tales (tanka linked to prose). Storyteller is an inviting book that encourages readers to "come dance" with Genie, as she weaves her life experiences and observations into words, becoming a storyteller for all.