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Born on December 27, 1943 in Denver, Colorado and raised in the United States, multi-faceted Hillel Wright died from a heart attack on August 1, 2017 at his home in Sointula, according to one of his daughters. A memorial service was held on October 8, 2017 on Denman Island. He lived for 25 years on the West Coast of Canada before moving to Japan where he lived with his wife (and "muse") Shiori Tsuchiya in Kanagawa Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, as a Japan Correspondent for Fishing News International, a London, England-based monthly newspaper for the commercial industry, distributed world-wide. They moved to Naha, Okinawa, Japan, from Kawasaki, five days after an earthquake struck Japan on March 11, 2011.
Hillel Wright lived on Cortes Island from 1975 to 1978. Primarily known as a writer, he was also a clam digger, a tree planter and a radio host who ran for election on behalf of the Rhino Party then again for the Greengo Party (a mix of the Green Party and Rhino Party). From 1990 to 1997, Wright wrote a movie, television and video review column called Wiley Moon's Planet Video for two north Vancouver Island magazines, Island Life and The Big Valley, plus the Comox Valley Independent newspaper. Wright also worked as a commercial fisherman, college teacher and artist's model.
His (uncapitalized) literary collection called off beat (Printed Matter Press, 2009) features a transcript of Wright's 45-minute talk with Allen Ginsberg, as well as a CD version. He recorded his interview with Ginsberg at Hollyhock on May 5, 1985, using a portable, reel-to-reel tape recorder from Vancouver Co-op Radio, having sailed to the island and anchored offshore. "After we had stopped the tape recorder and smoked some of the best homegrown buds I'd ever had, the interview took a decided turn for the better and we talked about underground comics, poetry magazines, his favourite music and musicians, Bob Dylan's lyrics, pornography, the Evergreen Review, poet D.A. Levy and the FBI." At the invitation of Rex Weyler, Allen Ginsberg led a poetry and meditation retreat at Hollyhock Farm on Cortes Island for a handful of participants, including Trevor Carolan (who later recorded his memories of accompanying his mentor to Cortes Island in Giving Up Poetry: With Allen Ginsberg at Hollyhock [Banff Centre Press, 2001] having first published an excerpt that was reprinted in off beat magazine.)
Hillel Wright's novel "Border Town" recounts the life, loves and legend of a fictional female manga artist whose controversial comix stories challenge a Japanese Emperor. Five years in the writing, it became available on-line (http://imcbook.net), thru New Orphic Publishers in Canada, and at bookstores in Japan and the USA.
Dedicated to oddball major league baseball player Bill "Spaceman" Lee, Hillel Wright's compilation of memoirs and fictions called Rotary Sushi (New Orphic Publishers, 2003, $20) also included drawings, Japanese text and 'zen coyote stories'.
Wright was involved in numerous cooperative projects. He co-edited Poesie Yaponesia: A Bilingual Anthology (2002) with Taylor Mignon and he has edited Faces in the Crowd: A Tokyo International Anthology (Tokyo. Printed Matter Press, 2002). Much earlier he edited Evolution Transcended: 14 Island Poets (1982). He published poetry collections, Single Dad (1991) and Welcome to the Below Tide Motel (Trabarni, 1993), as well as one 'novel in nine stories' called All Wordly Pursuits (New Orphic 2001 0-9687317-6-7). It's the story of a fisherman in the late 1960s named Wiley Moon who is seized by the wanderlust of his Jewish ancestors.
In 2008, Hillel Wright edited Jungle Crows, an anthology that includes poetry, short fiction, essays, translation from Japanese and art by 35 expatriate writers (from Canada, India, Ireland, U.K. [England & Wales], U.S.A. and Viet Nam) who live or had lived in Greater Tokyo.
ARRIVAL IN CANADA: 1972
EMPLOYMENT OTHER THAN WRITING: Commercial Fishing, Lecturer at Japanese University
AWARDS: Japanzine Short Story Award 2003; 2008.
Westcoast Fisherman Best Short Story 2001, CBC Really Short Story Contest Winner 1996
BOOKS:
River Road: a novel of six stories, (Tokyo: Printed Matter Press, 2012) 978-1-933606-28-6
off beat: Allen Ginsberg interview with Hillel Wright (Printed Matter Press, 2009). 978-1-933606-19-4
Jungle Crows; a Tokyo expatriate anthology (Tokyo & New York: Printed Matter Press, 2007). Edited by Hillel Wright; Foreword by Suzanne Kamata; Cover art by Akemi Shinohara. ISBN 978-1-933606-12-5
256 pp $25.00/2500yen
Border Town (Printed Matter Press, Tokyo & New York, 2006). 1-933606-08-8
Rotary Sushi; many kinds of stories + 5 translations by Mihiro Kizuki, New Orphic Publishers (Nelson, BC 2003)
Faces in the Crowds; a Tokyo international anthology (Editor), Printed Matter Press (Tokyo 2002)
All Worldly Pursuits; a novel in nine stories, New Orphic Publishers, 2001, 2nd ed. 2002
Poesie Yaponesia; a bi-lingual anthology (Co-editor with Taylor Mignon), Printed Matter Press (Tokyo 2000)
Welcome to the Below Tide Motel (poetry), Trabarni Press (Coquitlam, BC 1993)
Single Dad, (poetry chapbook), Trabarni Press (Coquitlam, BC 1991)
Evolution Transcended; poems from the heart of the inland sea (anthology of 14 island poets - Editor), High Tides Press (Courtenay, BC 1982)
BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS: Married to Maureen Fath from 1972-1981, 4 children: Hano, b.1972; Anita, b.1974; Teresa, b.1976; Rose, b.1979. Married to Shiori Tsuchiya from 1998 to 2017.
[BCBW 2017]
Additional tribute:
Hillel was born in Denver in 1943 and received an M.A. from Southern Illinois University, where he studied under Irish poet Thomas Kinsella and American novelist John Gardner. After quitting the Ph.D. program, he moved to Hawaii to begin a career as a fisherman. He later moved to Canada, working in fishing, forestry and writing while raising a family of four children, including 16 years as single parent. He moved to Japan in 1997, where he lectured at universities and continued writing, including for The Japan Times.
Hillel first contacted me when I was writing a poetry column for The Japan Times in 2000. He sent me some of his work, including a volume of poetry, "Single Dad." We became friends and collaborated on an anthology and readings.
He was more prolific as a fiction writer, and I admired his on-the-road psychedelic novel "All Worldly Pursuits," which evoked the Beat excitement of adventure. W. P. Kinsella, author of "Shoeless Joe," wrote about Hillel's book: "With luminous and articulate writing, Wright tells the story of Wiley Moon. ... He has a lust for life and a passion that involves the reader in his story."
When there was a vacuum in publishing among Tokyo's expats, Hillel cleverly assembled anthologies that united groups of disparate writers around Kanto. The first anthology he solo-edited was "Faces in the Crowds: A Tokyo International Anthology" in 2002, which proved to be fairly lucrative for Printed Matter Press, Japan's longest-running publisher of English literature, founded in 1976.
The title of the anthology references a short poem by Ezra Pound. The headings of the sections of the volume included "What the Dickens," "Tokyo Writers Group" and "Temple University Japan Poets," bringing the best writing from chiefly the Tokyo area together in one place, offering a window into a lively time for writers of English. Donald Richie wrote in his foreword: "It is, indeed, the Beat take on Japan (Dharma Bums) that informs a major ... theme and is responsible for the major connection with Tokyo, the chosen focus of 'Faces in the Crowds.' It is not Kyoto, the old capital, nor the gentle countryside but competitively in-your-face Tokyo which mainly inspired the contributors."
Among Hillel's accomplishments was supporting and publishing a wealth of writing by women. Suzanne Kamata would go on to pen the foreword to Hillel's next anthology, "Jungle Crows"; he kept an even ratio between the sexes in spite of the demographic imbalance toward foreign men.
Until just before his death, he was in contact with Kamata about editing another anthology; this one was to have an international focus, a compilation of writing from the Canadian journal "Minus Tides," which he co-edited. He was also in the process of editing his own book of stories inspired by singer-songwriter Neil Young.
Japanologist John Solt called his passing the loss of a "Tokyo literary giant." He brought an exuberance to the process of editing and engaging with writers, bringing together a broad range of wordsmiths and fomenting a literary community at a ripe creative moment.
Writer Elaine Lies remarked upon hearing of his passing that he could be a rogue, and that's what made him provocative. He could test one's patience by self-promoting, but in hindsight, dedicated writers need to promote themselves.
Hillel, you are missed, but you leave tomes that enrich our writing community and which will be remembered, as well as your generous receptivity and kindness to authors and artists.
Hillel Wright lived on Cortes Island from 1975 to 1978. Primarily known as a writer, he was also a clam digger, a tree planter and a radio host who ran for election on behalf of the Rhino Party then again for the Greengo Party (a mix of the Green Party and Rhino Party). From 1990 to 1997, Wright wrote a movie, television and video review column called Wiley Moon's Planet Video for two north Vancouver Island magazines, Island Life and The Big Valley, plus the Comox Valley Independent newspaper. Wright also worked as a commercial fisherman, college teacher and artist's model.
His (uncapitalized) literary collection called off beat (Printed Matter Press, 2009) features a transcript of Wright's 45-minute talk with Allen Ginsberg, as well as a CD version. He recorded his interview with Ginsberg at Hollyhock on May 5, 1985, using a portable, reel-to-reel tape recorder from Vancouver Co-op Radio, having sailed to the island and anchored offshore. "After we had stopped the tape recorder and smoked some of the best homegrown buds I'd ever had, the interview took a decided turn for the better and we talked about underground comics, poetry magazines, his favourite music and musicians, Bob Dylan's lyrics, pornography, the Evergreen Review, poet D.A. Levy and the FBI." At the invitation of Rex Weyler, Allen Ginsberg led a poetry and meditation retreat at Hollyhock Farm on Cortes Island for a handful of participants, including Trevor Carolan (who later recorded his memories of accompanying his mentor to Cortes Island in Giving Up Poetry: With Allen Ginsberg at Hollyhock [Banff Centre Press, 2001] having first published an excerpt that was reprinted in off beat magazine.)
Hillel Wright's novel "Border Town" recounts the life, loves and legend of a fictional female manga artist whose controversial comix stories challenge a Japanese Emperor. Five years in the writing, it became available on-line (http://imcbook.net), thru New Orphic Publishers in Canada, and at bookstores in Japan and the USA.
Dedicated to oddball major league baseball player Bill "Spaceman" Lee, Hillel Wright's compilation of memoirs and fictions called Rotary Sushi (New Orphic Publishers, 2003, $20) also included drawings, Japanese text and 'zen coyote stories'.
Wright was involved in numerous cooperative projects. He co-edited Poesie Yaponesia: A Bilingual Anthology (2002) with Taylor Mignon and he has edited Faces in the Crowd: A Tokyo International Anthology (Tokyo. Printed Matter Press, 2002). Much earlier he edited Evolution Transcended: 14 Island Poets (1982). He published poetry collections, Single Dad (1991) and Welcome to the Below Tide Motel (Trabarni, 1993), as well as one 'novel in nine stories' called All Wordly Pursuits (New Orphic 2001 0-9687317-6-7). It's the story of a fisherman in the late 1960s named Wiley Moon who is seized by the wanderlust of his Jewish ancestors.
In 2008, Hillel Wright edited Jungle Crows, an anthology that includes poetry, short fiction, essays, translation from Japanese and art by 35 expatriate writers (from Canada, India, Ireland, U.K. [England & Wales], U.S.A. and Viet Nam) who live or had lived in Greater Tokyo.
ARRIVAL IN CANADA: 1972
EMPLOYMENT OTHER THAN WRITING: Commercial Fishing, Lecturer at Japanese University
AWARDS: Japanzine Short Story Award 2003; 2008.
Westcoast Fisherman Best Short Story 2001, CBC Really Short Story Contest Winner 1996
BOOKS:
River Road: a novel of six stories, (Tokyo: Printed Matter Press, 2012) 978-1-933606-28-6
off beat: Allen Ginsberg interview with Hillel Wright (Printed Matter Press, 2009). 978-1-933606-19-4
Jungle Crows; a Tokyo expatriate anthology (Tokyo & New York: Printed Matter Press, 2007). Edited by Hillel Wright; Foreword by Suzanne Kamata; Cover art by Akemi Shinohara. ISBN 978-1-933606-12-5
256 pp $25.00/2500yen
Border Town (Printed Matter Press, Tokyo & New York, 2006). 1-933606-08-8
Rotary Sushi; many kinds of stories + 5 translations by Mihiro Kizuki, New Orphic Publishers (Nelson, BC 2003)
Faces in the Crowds; a Tokyo international anthology (Editor), Printed Matter Press (Tokyo 2002)
All Worldly Pursuits; a novel in nine stories, New Orphic Publishers, 2001, 2nd ed. 2002
Poesie Yaponesia; a bi-lingual anthology (Co-editor with Taylor Mignon), Printed Matter Press (Tokyo 2000)
Welcome to the Below Tide Motel (poetry), Trabarni Press (Coquitlam, BC 1993)
Single Dad, (poetry chapbook), Trabarni Press (Coquitlam, BC 1991)
Evolution Transcended; poems from the heart of the inland sea (anthology of 14 island poets - Editor), High Tides Press (Courtenay, BC 1982)
BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS: Married to Maureen Fath from 1972-1981, 4 children: Hano, b.1972; Anita, b.1974; Teresa, b.1976; Rose, b.1979. Married to Shiori Tsuchiya from 1998 to 2017.
[BCBW 2017]
Additional tribute:
Hillel Wright: poet, writer and catalyst for Tokyo's literary community
by Taylor Mignon
Special To The Japan Times
Hillel was born in Denver in 1943 and received an M.A. from Southern Illinois University, where he studied under Irish poet Thomas Kinsella and American novelist John Gardner. After quitting the Ph.D. program, he moved to Hawaii to begin a career as a fisherman. He later moved to Canada, working in fishing, forestry and writing while raising a family of four children, including 16 years as single parent. He moved to Japan in 1997, where he lectured at universities and continued writing, including for The Japan Times.
Hillel first contacted me when I was writing a poetry column for The Japan Times in 2000. He sent me some of his work, including a volume of poetry, "Single Dad." We became friends and collaborated on an anthology and readings.
He was more prolific as a fiction writer, and I admired his on-the-road psychedelic novel "All Worldly Pursuits," which evoked the Beat excitement of adventure. W. P. Kinsella, author of "Shoeless Joe," wrote about Hillel's book: "With luminous and articulate writing, Wright tells the story of Wiley Moon. ... He has a lust for life and a passion that involves the reader in his story."
When there was a vacuum in publishing among Tokyo's expats, Hillel cleverly assembled anthologies that united groups of disparate writers around Kanto. The first anthology he solo-edited was "Faces in the Crowds: A Tokyo International Anthology" in 2002, which proved to be fairly lucrative for Printed Matter Press, Japan's longest-running publisher of English literature, founded in 1976.
The title of the anthology references a short poem by Ezra Pound. The headings of the sections of the volume included "What the Dickens," "Tokyo Writers Group" and "Temple University Japan Poets," bringing the best writing from chiefly the Tokyo area together in one place, offering a window into a lively time for writers of English. Donald Richie wrote in his foreword: "It is, indeed, the Beat take on Japan (Dharma Bums) that informs a major ... theme and is responsible for the major connection with Tokyo, the chosen focus of 'Faces in the Crowds.' It is not Kyoto, the old capital, nor the gentle countryside but competitively in-your-face Tokyo which mainly inspired the contributors."
Among Hillel's accomplishments was supporting and publishing a wealth of writing by women. Suzanne Kamata would go on to pen the foreword to Hillel's next anthology, "Jungle Crows"; he kept an even ratio between the sexes in spite of the demographic imbalance toward foreign men.
Until just before his death, he was in contact with Kamata about editing another anthology; this one was to have an international focus, a compilation of writing from the Canadian journal "Minus Tides," which he co-edited. He was also in the process of editing his own book of stories inspired by singer-songwriter Neil Young.
Japanologist John Solt called his passing the loss of a "Tokyo literary giant." He brought an exuberance to the process of editing and engaging with writers, bringing together a broad range of wordsmiths and fomenting a literary community at a ripe creative moment.
Writer Elaine Lies remarked upon hearing of his passing that he could be a rogue, and that's what made him provocative. He could test one's patience by self-promoting, but in hindsight, dedicated writers need to promote themselves.
Hillel, you are missed, but you leave tomes that enrich our writing community and which will be remembered, as well as your generous receptivity and kindness to authors and artists.
The event "Hillel Wright Remembrance" will be held at the Japan Writers Conference at the Ekoda Campus of Nihon University College of Art, Nerima Ward, Tokyo, on Oct. 9. It is free and open to the public. For details, visit www.japanwritersconference.org. Wright's contributions to The Japan Times can be found at www.japantimes.co.jp/author/int-hillel_wright. Taylor Mignon, chief editor of Tokyo Poetry Journal, is currently editing an issue on "Japan and the Beats."
Send your comments and Community story ideas to: community@japantimes.co.jp
Articles: 1 Article for this author
off beat edited by Hillel Wright (Printed Matter Press)
Article
In 1985, at the invitation of Rex Weyler, Allen Ginsberg accepted an invitation to lead a poetry and meditation retreat at Hollyhock Farm on Cortes Island for a handful of participants that included Trevor Carolan, who recorded his memories and impressions of accompanying his mentor to Cortes Island in Giving Up Poetry: With Allen Ginsberg at Hollyhock (Banff Centre Press, 2001). An excerpt has been reprinted in the collection entitled off beat, edited by Hillel Wright, who recorded an interview with Ginsberg at Hollyhock on May 5, 1985, using a portable, reel-to-reel tape recorder from Vancouver Co-op Radio. "After we had stopped the tape recorder and smoked some of the best homegrown buds I'd ever had, the interview took a decided turn for the better and we talked about underground comics, poetry magazines, his favourite music and musicians, Bob Dylan's lyrics, pornography, the Evergreen Review, poet D.A. Levy and the FBI."; off beat features the transcript of Wright's 45-minute talk with Ginsberg, as well as a CD version. 978-1-933606-19-4
[BCBW 2010]
