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Kazuko Shiraishi (白石 かずこ, Shiraishi Kazuko, 27 February 1931 – 14 June 2024) was a Japanese poet and translator who was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She was a modernist, outsider poet who got her start in Katsue Kitazono's "VVOU" poetry group, which led Shiraishi to publish her first book of poems in 1951. She also read her poetry at jazz performances. She appeared at readings and literary festivals all over the world.

Kenneth Rexroth called her "the Allen Ginsberg of Japan," and edited a volume of her poetry in English for New Directions Press.

Shiraishi died on 14 June 2024, at the age of 93.

Translations available in English

Hiroaki Sato translated Shiraishi's poetry for BOMB Magazine, and several of her anthologies have appeared in English:

• Seasons of Sacred Lust. Translated by Ikuko Atsumi, John Solt, Carol Tinker, Yasuyo Morita, and Kenneth Rexroth. Edited by Kenneth Rexroth. New Directions Press, 1975.
• Let Those Who Appear. Translated by Samuel Grolmes and Yumiko Tsumura. New Directions Press, 2002.
• My Floating Mother, City. Translated by Samuel Grolmes and Yumiko Tsumura. New Directions Press, 2009.
• Sea, Land, Shadow. Translated by Yumiko Tsumura. New Directions Press, 2017.

References

1. Profile of Kazuko Shiraishi
2. "Kazuko Shiraishi — internationales literaturfestival berlin". Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
3. "Kazuko Shiraishi (poet)". Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
4. "Author Page - Kazuko Shiraishi". 8 September 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
5. "Japan's 'beat poet' Kazuko Shiraishi, pioneer of modern performance poetry, dies at 93". AP news. 19 June 2024.
6. "詩人の白石かずこさん死去、９３歳…詩集「現れるものたちをして」で読売文学賞" [Poet Kazuko Shiraishi dies at age 93...Yomiuri Literature Prize winner for her poetry collection "Tarau Monotachi wo Shite"]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 19 June 2024.
7. "Four Poems by Kazuko Shiraishi". Retrieved 28 January 2016.

Further reading

• Quarterly Conversation. "My Floating Mother, City by Kazuko Shiraishi," by Levi Stahl.

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