Regrets

a guilt trip to Japan

I will share some travel recommendations for my subscribers later in this issue, but I did have some news and a link I wanted to share with everyone first.

Bad news: a publisher I had hoped to work with sent me a kindly-worded rejection letter on the Thursday before last. I’ll continue to shop the memoir to other independent and university presses, but I admit I was disappointed.

Good news: Writers Digest sent word that an excerpt from that self-same memoir had been awarded an honorable mention in their annual memoir competition. It won’t be published, so I can continue submitting it to other publications.

Also in the good news department: On October 14th, 1977, gay activist Tom Higgins planted a pie in Anita Bryant’s face during one of her homophobic press conferences for her Save The Children campaign. Bigots have been using children as a pretext for discrimination against queer people for a long time, and it was delicious to see someone stand up to a bigot for a change.

And lastly, a link. Tokyo Review published an interesting thought piece on whether the new Japanese Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, will advance queer rights in Japan. I am, however, keeping an eye on the elections there later this month, which will undoubtedly be a more significant indicator of Ishiba’s and Japan’s future.

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A sad anniversary arrived: one of my dearest friends here in Seattle, an operatic tenor with a gigantic heart, Karl Reyes, went on to his greater glory last year. I miss him like crazy, but I also admit to some guilt. Karl’s brother, Riz (also a good friend with a gigantic heart; it runs in the Reyes family), had asked Hiro and me to plan a tour of Japan for Karl.

Karl was a massive Japanophile. His proudest moment on stage was when he sang the role of Gorō in Puccini’s Madame Butterfly for the Portland Opera, but I remember visiting Japanese antique sales with Karl and wondering if he would wait for an explanation of an object before purchasing it. Prints and scrolls naturally drew his eye, but antique kitchen tools (Karl was also a fantastic chef who had introduced me to the wonders of Filipino cuisine), carpentry tools, and even massive pieces of furniture found their way to his home.

Hiro, me, and Karl after an antique spree.

But before we could get to Japan with Karl, Covid-19 arrived. Hiro and I went to Japan in the spring of 2023, but we put the trip with Karl off, hoping against hope for Karl's needed surgery. Surgery that, ultimately, never happened.

This anniversary has inspired me to compile my hand-picked guide to Tōkyo sights and attractions, which will be available as a PDF before the year ends. If you want exclusive access to this guide, please get a paid subscription!

For now, however, the following is a Tōkyō itinerary for Karl at his foodie and antique-loving best.