Bookreporter.com - Author Profile: Liza Dalby

Liza Dalby

BIO

Liza Dalby is an anthropologist specializing in Japanese culture. As the only Westerner to have become a geisha, which she did as research for her Ph.D. and her books Geisha and Kimono, she is a consultant for Steven Spielberg's upcoming film adaptation of Arthur Golden's MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA. She lives in Berkeley, California, with her husband and three children.

INTERVIEW

June 9, 2000

The geisha craze may have begun with Arthur Golden's MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, but it's not over yet. Liza Dalby's new novel, THE TALE OF MURASAKI retells the story of historical figure Murasaki Shikibu, the woman who wrote the world's first novel. Dalby is more than just an author and historian --- she was also the first Western woman to train and become a geisha, so her novel rings true on many levels. Bookreporter.com's Katrin Sjursen asks Dalby about her inspiration for writing MURASAKI; why she feels so close to Japanese culture and literature; her experience working on the upcoming film, Memoirs of a Geisha; and much more in this interview.

TBR: THE TALE OF MURASAKI reconstructs the life of Murasaki Shikibu, a historical figure who wrote the world's first novel, THE TALE OF GENJI, in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. What first attracted you to study, and then write about, Murasaki?

LD: I read Murasaki’s masterpiece, THE TALE OF GENJI, when I was a teenager --- it was my first taste of Japanese culture. I found the world she evoked in her writing utterly compelling, and became more intrigued by her as a person --- and as a writer --- over the years.

TBR: Murasaki lived during the Heian period of Japanese history. In your author's note, you recount some of your research into Murasaki's life, including a two-month trip to Kyoto funded by the Japan Foundation, and into Heian culture. How much time did you spend laying the foundation for the book before you began writing it, and what other preparations did you undertake to provide such a deep understanding of Heian society?

LD: I have been working on this book for a decade. Part of it grew out of the research on 11th century court clothing that I did for my earlier book KIMONO: Fashioning Culture.

TBR: Since you based most of the book on Murasaki's extant writings --- in particular her diary and her waka, or poetry --- did you feel constrained to be true to the historical Murasaki? Did she eventually develop a life of her own in your imagination?

LD: I felt compelled to be as true as I possibly could to what we do know about the historical Murasaki Shikibu. These facts were my guideposts, and I filled in the gaps with my imagination. Perhaps the only scene that I invented knowing that nothing like it occurred was her love affair with the Chinese man Ming-gwok. I used that partially to symbolize Murasaki’s love for Chinese literature. As for her love affairs with other women, I feel they are quite likely to have actually occurred in a way similar to how I portrayed them.

TBR: Your Murasaki begins writing THE TALE OF GENJI when she is still a girl, but many scholars place the date of the novel's inception much later, usually after the death of her husband. How did you decide when to break with the scholarly tradition and when to stick to the "facts?"

LD: There are no facts on many of these questions, only differences of scholarly opinion. My view on when she started writing is shared by, among others, Setouchi Jakucho, the Buddhist nun who has recently published a popular new modern Japanese translation of THE TALE OF GENJI.

TBR: Your previous books --- GEISHA and KIMONO: FASHIONING CULTURE --- are both nonfiction. What prompted you to attempt a work of fiction?

LD: Since I am neither a historian nor specialist in classical Japanese literature, I didn't feel I could contribute anything of a scholarly nature to studies of Murasaki Shikibu. In a way, Murasaki herself inspired me to try to engage her life in fiction.

TBR: Now that you've been through the process, do you think you'd like to write another novel?

LD: Perhaps someday. Right now I am most interested in writing and designing webpages for my website, www.taleofmurasaki.com. This is turning out to be not only an addendum to the book, but also a resource for many aspects of 11th century Japanese material culture.

TBR: You have a Ph.D. from Stanford University in anthropology, specializing in Japanese culture. When did you first become interested in Japan?

LD: Probably it was reading Murasaki’s THE TALE OF GENJI as a teenager that first sparked my interest. Soon afterwards I had a chance to live and study in Japan.

TBR: Arthur Golden's recent bestseller MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA brought renewed interest to your first book, GEISHA. The book, which grew out of your Ph.D. dissertation research, recounts your experiences as the only westerner to actually become a true Japanese Geisha. You mention in the preface to this book how remarkable it was that the geisha agreed to let you learn about their culture as an insider. How did you initiate a relationship with them and earn this level of trust?

LD: The greatest asset in doing my geisha research was the fact that I could play the shamisen --- a traditional Japanese stringed instrument that geisha also play. Intrigued by Japanese music, I had begun learning to play it during my earliest stay in Japan. In a way, it was the shamisen that drew me to the geisha, and it gave me credibility in their eyes.

TBR: How much of your subsequent work is grounded in that research trip you first undertook for your dissertation?

LD: I lived in Japan several different times before doing the geisha research, and have been back numerous times since. I still always go to Kyoto and pay my respects at the geisha house where I did my training. My geisha friends are all very interested in my book on Murasaki, and are waiting to read it in Japanese.

TBR: The brief biography that accompanies your books mentions that you are "a consultant on Steven Spielberg's upcoming film adaptation of Arthur Golden's MEMOIRS OF GEISHA." Have you begun work on this project yet? What are your duties?

LD: Thus far I have worked with the costume designer, although at the moment the filming is on hold while Mr. Spielberg works on two other films. When MEMOIRS moves into production I will probably help the Asian actresses (who may not necessarily even be Japanese) with geisha deportment.

TBR: Aside from film consulting, what other projects keep you busy right now?

LD: My major project right now is the Japanese translation of THE TALE OF MURASAKI, which is due out this fall. This is the only foreign language translation I am involved with. There are many tricky issues that arise in Japanese that don’t occur in English, and I am very concerned that we get it right.

TBR: What types of books do you enjoy reading for fun? Who are your favorite authors?

LD: I have just finished reading Graham Swift’s novel LAST ORDERS, which I thought was an amazingly crafted piece of writing. I am a great Nabokov fan, particularly fond of PNIN and ADA. Also, Susan Sontag’s THE VOLCANO LOVER is at the top of my all-time favorite list.

TBR: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

LD: Write about what obsesses you.