Mischief of the Gods

Mischief of the Gods: Tales from the Ethiopian Streets
Itsushi Kawase 

186 mm x 130 mm
204pages
JPY1,900
ISBN 9784790717171
Pub date: April 2018
Rights sold: English 

“What a rich life it is to have these memories of time spent with the young Azmari singer Tigabu, the Lalibela poet Tilahun, and the other spirit of improvisation. I envy Itsushi Kawase. For him the streets of Gondar are close, dear, and touching.”
—Ryuichi Sakamoto

Reviews
“This is not a novel, but it is not a mere record either, more like a story played by a musician.” —Toshiko Watanabe, poet

“A realistic and fantastic record of how the streets, a crucible of life, become the home of the author's soul” —Shukan Shincho

“The author brings the reader at once into the midst of the reality of Gondar and Ethiopia” —Yoshiaki Furuya, anthropologist

“This is a memoir of a young visual anthropologist, a direct descendant of Lelis, who studies the spirit beliefs and musical culture of the ancient city of Gondar. The book is an unadorned and unobtrusive account of Kawase’s personality, the movements of his five senses, and the emotional turmoil of his heart. Of course, this is not a research book, but it is a work that should be called an anthropology of fragmentary memories that lie alongside the dense research. An anthropologist’s nocturnal thoughts.” Keijiro Suga, poet

“In this book, various voices, given the form of Japanese language, are cleanly bundled together in a “style that cannot be called poetry, prose, or short stories,” or in a “fragmentary monologue or dialogue-like for” Yuju Wen, novelist

Table of Contents
Prologue

1. The spirits of Piazza
2. The sun’s lullaby
3. Mul’s snake
4. Chaina, egg-seller
5. A song for God
6. Chaplain of the tablelands
7. A certain symphony
8. The promised land
9. Eternity
10. Mischief of the gods
11. Kollo temari
12. A promise to Johannes
13. Reunion
14. Journey
15. My brother’s way
16. Crosses
17. The Ethiopia Hotel

Afterword

Keywords
Sakamoto Ryuichi, Africa, Ethiopia, visual anthropology, ethnographic film, Gondar, Laliberoch, minstrel, immigrant, refugee, leprosy, Italy, Israel, Eritrea, Orthodox Christianity, honey, wine, coffee ceremony

Media Coverage
Nishinippon Shinbun, Music Magazine, Shukan Shincho, Weekly Book Review, Fujin Koron, Bijutsu Techo

Award
6th Iron Dog Heterotopia Literature Award