The Writing University conducts a series of interviews with writers while they are in Iowa City participating in the various University of Iowa writing programs. We sit down with authors to ask about their work, their process and their descriptions of home.

Today we are speaking with Miharu Yano, an MFA candidate in the University of Iowa's Translation Program. Miharu Yano is a translator and poet from Tokyo, Japan. They are currently pursuing an MFA in Literary Translation at the University of Iowa, and is coeditor-in-chief of Exchanges: Journal of Literary Translation.
 

1. Can you tell us a little bit about what brought you to the University of Iowa?

The Literary Translation MFA brought me to Iowa. I knew I wanted to do a graduate degree in something literature related, and I knew that I wanted to get out of Japan for a bit. I had also gotten interested in literary translation in undergrad and coming here meant that I could keep doing what I loved.

2. What is the inspiration for your work right now?

Definitely my peers and mentors in the program. They are all such dedicated, smart, kind people. Because I mainly translate poetry now, I am also inspired by the poets in town, in and outside of the workshops.

Talking to my brother, who is a musician, often gets me thinking. We are both creative but in quite different fields, and his perspective helps me recalibrate my mind.

My own poems and my translations are in a symbiotic cycle of inspiration—engaging in one will spark the other, creating a positive friction that spurs a shift in my thinking or creativity.

With translation, and particularly with the projects I am working on right now, I am inspired by the authors of the works. Kōra Rumiko, who I am translating for my thesis, is someone I am in awe of. Not only do I admire her craft and creativity, but I respect her social activism, her commitment to community building, the sense of responsibility she brings to every work, and her character. I sadly never got to meet her in person, but reading about her legacy and speaking to those that knew her has been and will continue to be a wealth of inspiration.

3. Do you have a daily writing routine?

I unfortunately don’t, even though I should. I read and write on a daily basis, it just isn’t structured enough to call a routine. I’ve never really been good at routine. I kind of try and let my intuition take me where I need to be. I also find myself tinkering around with ideas in my head before I sit down and actually write, and this has to happen as I’m doing other things—laundry, dishes, walking, fiddling with a rock. If I start routine-ifying these things, that would probably short-circuit my brain or something.

Translation is a craft that requires a lot of discipline and focus, and I usually try to find large chunks of time (4+ hours) rather than small increments. Not every day, but I try at least every other day. Translation is one of those things where the words continue to haunt you and follow you around after you step away from it, so even if you think you’re not working on it, you probably are.

4. What are you reading right now? Are you reading for research or pleasure?

For research, a lot of Kõra Rumiko’s poetry and essays. Also, a lot of craft essays written by translators!

I’m taking a class on The Tale of Genji, which I haven’t really read since high school. Reengaging with Heian Japan (in Iowa, of all places!) has been extremely fun.

For pleasure, I’ve been reading Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA by Richard English. Such a well-researched book for understanding how the militant wing of the IRA, the Provisionals, came to be.

I know I will be reading Ali Smith’s new book when it comes out. Love her.

5. Tell us about where you are from - what are some favorite details you would like to share about your home?

This is a question I’ve often struggled to answer because I moved around a lot when I was little.

I was born in Tokyo, Japan. I consider Tokyo my home now, because I’ve spent the most time there and because most of my family lives there. Tokyo is a big city though, made of many little ecospheres—Shibuya is home because I spent a lot of my teenage years there; Waseda, where I went to college, is home because it is a space I molded to feel comfortable for myself; my grandmother’s house, just outside of Tokyo, is home.

Memories are home. My lovely friends, who live all over the world now, are home. My childhood cat and dog are home. Family is home. Many books are home for me too. Books are the most welcoming homes. The fondness I have for everything I mentioned makes them home. 

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Thanks Miharu!

Photo: Joshua Thermidor