2021/10/19

I’ve read Eric Hoffer’s “Working and Thinking on the Waterfront”. This book is a journal so we can read this as a collection of memos which various ideas he had thought are written every day, not the book in which he tried to explain single strong thought. So we have to read other books if we want to know how was the main thought he tried to explain. The library nearby my home has an aphorism and an autobiography of him. I’ve already read them and thought his life and thought was really unique. Working and reading are connected to his philosophy directly, and he shows himself as an “expert” in life. I adore him, even I would imitate him.

I’ve read Yoshio Kataoka’s “Coffee Calls”. I thought he was a “people’s” writer (we Japanese has the proper word “Syominha”). He doesn’t stand on the side of any establishment or authority. When he writes about the misusing or overflowing of English in Japan, or when he does about movies or music, he keeps his eyes on the position of a citizen (or common people). So his writings are always fresh and not like a veteran. How could it be if when I try to translate his works into English? I thought so. Just I try to translate the memos which are written in “Japanese and English”. Of course, I should concern the problem of copyright. But it sounds nice.

If I read two books in a day, I couldn’t read anymore. I even tried to read Souseki Natsume’s “Meian” but couldn’t. I spent time wastefully. I should think about how I “output” rubbish in my mind. Once I thought that complaining or venting in public must be quite a waste of time. But now I think that outputting our thoughts can have chances to produce something more. I don’t agree with the opinion that “men” shouldn’t complain in public. These people who say so deny the act of “hanging out” at their private time communication(we Japanese say it as “Nomi-nication”)?

I went to a bookstore and found the book “The Rebel Sell” by Joseph Heath and ‎Andrew Potter’s Japanese paperback version. I bought it. I always buy books on the net. The reason why is the convenience of finding and buying them easily, but I found that buying books at the “real” bookstores. Once I had bought a lot of books. Yes, I was stupid and therefore I couldn’t read them. Just they became like samples of meals in front of the restaurants… Now I feel that using libraries is enough. Maybe it is because I read the “classics” which all libraries have. Now I want to read Souseki. I want to touch Souseki’s profound philosophy.