This interview was conducted by Advanced Workshop students and JFR Editors Samuel McFerron, Lauren Lotarski, Alyssa Khuffash, and Jovaughn Williams in the Spring of 2024.
Hello, readers! Welcome to the second series installment of “Meet the Authors,” a series highlighting the visiting authors that grace Lewis University with their presence. On Thursday, April 11th, the University welcomed Gabriel Ojeda-Sagué and Naoko Fujimoto to the Art Gallery where both authors read poetry and gave a Q & A afterward. For this “Meet the Authors” post, we will be focusing on Naoko Fujimoto and her wonderful poetry (stay tuned for our post about Gabriel Ojeda-Sagué and his amazing work as well!) Now for a brief introduction to Naoko Fujimoto and an exploration of her work and her thoughts behind it.
Biography:
Naoko Fujimoto was born, raised in Nagoya, Japan, and studied at Nanzan Junior College. She was an exchange student and received a B.A. and M.A. from Indiana University. Her poetry collections are “We Face The Tremendous Meat On The Teppan,” winner of C&R Press Summer Tide Pool Chapbook Award by (2022), “Where I Was Born”, winner of the editor’s choice by Willow Books (2019), “Glyph:Graphic Poetry=Trans. Sensory” by Tupelo Press (2021), and four chapbooks. She is a RHINO associate & translation editor and Tupelo Quarterly translation editor. She is a Bread Loaf Translation full scholarship recipient and the 2023 Visiting Teaching Artist at the Poetry Foundation. She is a first judge of Illinois Center for the Book: Illinois Emerging Writers Competition (2021 – current). Her first translation chapbook will be available from Toad Press in the fall of 2024.
This interview was formatted by Jet Fuel Review’s Assistant Managing Editor, Samuel McFerron in the Spring of 2024.
JFR: I find your inspiration behind the craft of your piece “The Pay-Phone” intriguing. What topics have you found to lend themselves best to your graphic poetry art form? What topics have you found challenging and the most fulfilling?
Naoko Fujimoto: “The Pay Phone” was written after an interview with the daughter of a breast cancer patient when I was composing my first poetry chapbook, Home, No Home. In the chapbook, I interviewed and researched survivors of health risks, natural disasters, and broken moments to identify the meaning of “home”.
It was a tough time for me because I sought my creative strength and voice after being away from my college town. I started working at a Japanese machine tool company. My work experience was fascinating but it is a different environment from my familiar writing community. Therefore, I frantically took any opportunity to incorporate my new experiences into my writing. At the same time, there was a huge earthquake in Japan with a tsunami and nuclear meltdown in 2011. All my loved ones, including their young children, were threatened by unpredictable menaces. I wrote and created a graphic poem about it in North American Review as well. Finding and developing topics are not challenging. The most challenging attitude is how long I can keep up with the topic and how much I am responsible for it. I constantly question myself, “Am I writing these because of my ego?” and “Why do I write?” To say that, I visit the actual place and talk with people around it, which is truly helpful in maintaining my mindset. This experience is worth a thousand words.
In addition, I thoughtfully budget my expenses. It might be tight, but I always find a way. In addition, when I visit the location, I collect things – train tickets, flyers on tables, and free pamphlets – those materials inspire me to incorporate them into my graphic poems about the topics. What is the most fulfilling about this process? People start writing and creating art after they know about my work. I believe that when we develop our creative skills, we can protest against conflicts. When we develop it, we appreciate diversity. It may be naïve, but I believe that advanced art knowledge can help prevent future wars.
JFR: What was your initial inspiration behind your craft essays project? Where has it gone that you didn’t originally foresee?
Naoko Fujimoto: Thank you so much for asking the question! I created an online community, Working On Gallery, during the pandemic. Chicago had pandemic restrictions in March right before April National Poetry Month. At that time, I coordinated several reading events, so I immediately managed events into short videos using social media. Then I asked, what about people who just released their new books? How do they show their work without visiting places? In 2019, I created my own website for graphic poems, so I had a decent number of visitors. I did not have enough budget and time to create another one, so I decided to use a blog section of my website to showcase writers, translators, and artists. This activity thankfully leads me to have my interview sections on RHINO and Tupelo Quarterly. I have three places to introduce my dear creators! Now, Working On Gallery has more than 4,000 visitors per year.
My guests for Working On Gallery are honest about their creativity with our readers. I was deeply moved by Maggie Queeney’s, Ina Cariño’s, and Meg Reynolds’s essays. I was so thrilled to see Jennifer Sperry Steinorth’s new works. Beth McDermott joined a reading video at a beautiful afternoon tea shop. There are more notable guests.
I recently realized that I was looking for a playmate just like a kindergartner who wanted to play a team activity like a seesaw or tag. I was not a sociable child, so it was fulfilling to be together with creators from various backgrounds. At the same time, I also learned how difficult and fragile organizing a creative community can be. Rejections, aggressive requests, and negative comments are always together with things that brighten me up. I recreated my Instagram account again, but I needed to leave Facebook and X. In 2023, I welcomed four guest editors for Working On Gallery and I just loved to learn new fields. I hope that I can continue this project further.
JFR: What are you currently working on?
Naoko Fujimoto: I recently won the Toad Press International Chapbook Series. My first chapbook, 09/09:Nine Japanese Female Poets / Nine Heian Waka, will be available in late 2024. I translated Japanese waka poems from the 7th century to the 12th century by female authors. Famous female writers from the era are Sei Shōnagon (The Pillow Book) and Murasaki Shikibu (The Tale of Genji). I’ve introduced some lesser-known female poets. I am thankful that I am finding translation supporters. Outside of the literature community, my bucket list includes “feed giraffes”, “physic reading at the weirdest place”, and “slow consumption”. I am so glad that many people compliment my fashion at reading events. I follow “shopping my closet” with slow fashion concepts.
Another huge thank you to Naoko Fujimoto for visiting us at Lewis, taking the time for this interview, and becoming a friend to everyone at Jet Fuel Review!
To learn more about Naoko and browse her work, you can visit her website
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