Pillow Thoughts

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Bundy, Roselee. “Japan’s First Woman Diarist and the Beginnings of Prose Writings by Women in Japan.” Women’s Studies, vol. 19, no. 1, July 1991, p.79. Academic Search Complete, doi:10.1080/00497878.1991.9978855.

I have never known what this sadness feels like when you cannot feel the sun or the air around you And time they say will heal you but even my own mother doesn’t know what to do. You said you wouldn’t hurt me You promised to keep me safe You knew what the others had done and I fell for the sincerity on your face. Maybe I deserved this for trusting someone who could manipulate so easily Maybe I deserved this for not listening when mother knows best. But all I was trying to do was show you that even a monster can be loved.I keep wondering how sad do I have to be for someone to stop insisting everything is going to be fine? T. A. Purcell and W. G. Aston, in Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan XVI (1889), pp. 215-24. Translation of six passages.

The Heian period was essential to the aristocratic people. Poetry and vibrant art were a big part in the imperial court, of which Shōnagon was a part. The people in the imperial court were expected to be well educated in writing. Literature was seen as a "key part in social interaction." One's writing skills could make or break their reputation. For example, Shōnagon mentions in The Pillow Book how a courtier asked her for advice for writing a poem and she had to turn him away because of his poor writing skills. During the Heian period, women had a role in society, especially those women who were considered to be upper-class. [11] Female authors in Japan during this time were more popular since they wrote in Japanese, which was considered the "people's language," and the male authors wrote in Chinese since that was considered to be of higher status. [12] Since female author's works were more popular with the common people, it is safe to assume that their works influenced society. The Pillow Book is also the name of a series of radio thrillers written by Robert Forrest and broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour Drama. These are detective stories with Sei Shōnagon as a principal character and feature many of her lists. [18] See also [ edit ] Peter Greenaway released his film The Pillow Book in 1996. Starring Vivian Wu and Ewan McGregor, it tells a modern story that references Sei Shōnagon's work. In general, The Pillow Book is written in brief statements, where the length of one paragraph is relatively short, and it is easy to read the contents, even for modern Japanese speakers. The miscellaneous collection has been arranged loosely into three specific types, while the collection of similar things has been compiled by distinct classification, and this so-called compiling was done afterwards by the hands of people other than Sei Shōnagon. Based on the beliefs of certain scholars, most of Shonagon's work was written during her time working in the court; however, some of the later entries were written in her later life, and were just based on her memories of the days and moments she experienced previously in the court. Penney, Matthew. “The Pillow Book.” Salem Press Encyclopedia 2016: Research Starters. Accessed 21 February 2017.I just love how this collection has been devided into 10 chapters specifically when to read each of these chapters. Full disclosure: I was supposed to participate in a promotional blog tour for this book, which is why I received a copy of it. However, as evidenced by my star rating, I most certainly did not enjoy reading it, and as such, I decided to forfeit my spot in the tour. Still, many thanks to the blog tour organizer for providing a review copy.

I understand why people take flight from bridges, I understand why a girl holds a blade to her wrist, I understand why a grown man cries counting all his lists. What I wish for the world to understand, is that in these fragile moments, patience and love are needed most. I am sorry we are in different states and towns I am sorry for that day I didn’t reply so you drove sixteen hours of dark highway We are breaking the whole world’s heart, all these lonely nights without each other Or maybe the world is slowly breaking us I’m sorry for all the days we’ve spent separately I’m sorry for all the time we cannot make up I’m sorry for being caught up in all your lonely I just wanted a place to stay This article is about the Japanese book. For the Peter Greenaway film of the same title, see The Pillow Book (film). Sei Shōnagon in a late 17th-century illustration I’ve made a funny little habit of parking out near the bay. I like to watch the planes take off, fly overhead and disappear into the clouds. I pretend I am up there too, on my way to see you.

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I hope you know you are loved. I hope things get simpler for you, peaceful. Spend your days with easy breaths and soft words. You deserve light through your windowsill. I hope it comes your way soon. Of all the tragedies on this earth, there is none more tragic than a person who cannot see their worth. Before the river takes our love and carries it out to sea, I wanted to thank you for loving someone as broken as me. I know it wasn’t easy, I know it wore you down. Before the cities burn to ashes and the sky rains tears, I wanted to say I’m sorry for all these wasted years. Before our bones are no more our bones and our lips are no longer our lips, I hope you take a lover who sails a different ship. May your nights become less brutal and your mornings a little kinder, may your heart find warmth with someone older and a little wiser. Chicago I’m in Chicago and you’re at home, how can we be so in love and yet so alone? It’s been so hard, how many more days must we be apart? All the nerves in my heart, wondering if things have changed, All the time apart, wondering if we’ll still be the same. I’m in Chicago and you’re at home, and I’m watching life pass. I miss you when I am alone. Penney, Matthew. "The Pillow Book." Discover Galileo. Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2016. http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=999b346e-ba65-458e-b323 1e6713af218e%40sessionmgr4010&hid=4202&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=89454036&db=ers. Accessed 13 Feb. 2017.