Kozukata (The Road Never to Be Taken)

Shuri Kido, sometimes referred to as the “far north poet,” is considered one of the most influential contemporary Japanese poets. Among his more than a dozen published books are poetry collections, essays on literature and Buddhism, and translations of Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot. Kido’s own work is infused with his extensive knowledge of Japanese culture. (updated 10/2021)

Tomoyuki Endo collaborated with Forrest Gander on the translation of three poems in Kazuko Shiraishi’s My Floating Mother, City (New Directions, 2009). He also served as supervisor of English subtitles for Gozo Yoshimasu’s movies Thousands of Islandsand The Reality behind What We See, which won more than ten awards at international movie festivals. He is assistant professor at Wako University in Tokyo. (updated 10/2021)

Forrest Gander is the author, most recently, of the poetry collection Twice Alive (New Directions, 2021). A translator and multiple-genre writer with degrees in geology and literature, he has received, among other honors, the Pulitzer Prize, the Best Translated Book Award, and fellowships from the Library of Congress, the Guggenheim Foundation, and United States Artists. Born in the Mojave Desert, he lives in California. (updated 10/2021)