Greetings & ようこそ
It is my immense pleasure to welcome you to the airy, the eerie, the all-at-once sensual, hysterical, and downright phenomenal Floating World of East Asian literature
Oh, but that’s not all we’re doing, we’ll venture across the foothills of Southern China, encountering wandering monks, greedy children, and blushing princes.
We’ll see just how lethal poetry can be – you thought Romeo and Juliet had it bad! We’ll dodge monsters in the mountains of Korea and learn about the travels of curry (is it a dish, a spice, a state of mind?) and how that mysterious food got its name as a myriad of dishes from thousands of hearths across India.
We’ll dance through fairytales with spirits and sprites up the Himalayas, across the shores of Polynesia, and maybe even walk the sands of San Francisco (you’ll see).
Legends and lore. And yes, anime. I’m interested in the way pop culture inherits content from the past, likewise influences our own understanding of that past. How does Shinto manifest in modern art? How do the old sages such as Laozi fit into our technocratic spirituality? And so on. Please, if there is a topic you’d like researched let’s hear it!
Slow and low… that’s the tempo:
This is a joint passion project as scratch through the final draft of my thesis. So please bear with me. This semester is sure to be… Challenging? Demanding?
While the official launch of my new site may not be until mid-Fall 2021 I’d love for you to introduce yourself.
Become a Patron!
Your patronage relieves the pressures of student debt, part-time gigs, and angry take-out diners (am I right!), enabling me to balance academic and outside research while sharing my passion with you, the world. Thank you for your time and support.
2021年秋に来る。それまで
Cheers,
Nicholas
P.S. For those of you that have stuck around since from the early days of my meandering essays: thank you, thank you, thank you. Your support fuels my craft. Feeding me the inspiration and drive to continue writing. So thank you. Truly. I wanted to let you know that as of Fall 2022 I am a recipient of the Gilman Foundation, essentially meaning that I’ve received sponsorship from the United States government to continue my research in Japan… Unfortunately due to the risk of COVID I may need to forgo my studies. BUT, I am thrilled to share this with you and wanted to extend my thanks.
Nicholas Andriani Rankin 
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