Tweets From The Pillow Book

Just think, if the author of The Pillow Book were alive today…
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@seishonagon When the ornamental comb one has ordered turns out to be pretty #pleasingthings
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@seishonagon One has gone to bed and is about to doze off when a mosquito appears, announcing himself in a reedy voice #hatefulthings
@seishonagon One has been foolish enough to invite a man to spend the night in an unsuitable place – and then he starts snoring #hatefulthings
@seishonagon One is telling a story when someone breaks in with a detail he happens to know, implying that one’s own version is inaccurate #hatefulthings
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@seishonagon Lying awake at night, one says something to one’s companion, who simply goes on sleeping #embarrassingthings
@seishonagon To have spoken about someone not knowing that he could overhear #embarrassingthings
@seishonagon A man recites his own poems (not especially good ones) and tells one about the praise they have received #embarrassingthings
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@seishonagon A very cold winter scene #thingsthatgainbybeingpainted
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@seishonagon Cherry blossoms #thingsthatlosebybeingpainted
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@seishonagon A large tree that has been blown down in a gale and lies on its side with its roots in the air #thingsthathavelosttheirpower
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@seishonagon The back of a piece of embroidery #squalidthings
@seishonagon Darkness in a place that does not give the impression of being very clean #squalidthings
@seishonagon The inside of a cat’s ear #squalidthings
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@seishonagon The last day of the Twelfth Month and the first of the First #thingsthataredistantthoughnear
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@seishonagon I look for an object that I need at once, and I find it #pleasingthings
@seishonagon Finding a large number of tales that one has not read before #pleasingthings
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I don’t know why, but I’ve always loved The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon. These are all quotes from the Ivan Morris translation, written by a woman who lived a thousand years ago.
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Read a novel set in Tokyo…

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Jonelle Patrick View All
Writing mystery books set in Tokyo is mostly what I do, but I also blog about the odd stuff I see every day in Japan. I'm a graduate of Stanford University and the Sendagaya Japanese Institute in Tokyo, and a member of the International Thriller Writers, the Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. When I'm not in Tokyo, I live in San Francisco. I also host a travel site called The Tokyo Guide I Wish I'd Had, so if you're headed to Japan and want to check out the places I take my friends when they're in town, take a look!
I HAVE THE PILLOW BOOK AND LOVE IT! This is RAD. Love love your blog!!
Sent from my iPhone with Love
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My sistah in 10th century snark!