Check Out Miho Kinnas’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Miho Kinnas.

Hi Miho, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
Everything I do, I have done will stay with me. My first book, Today, Fish Only (Math Paper Press), was published in 2014 in Singapore. I am Japanese, living in Shanghai at that time, and earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the City University of Hong Kong. I did a few readings in those cities, published in Asian journals; I began networking as a poet/translator in that part of the world. Then my husband and I moved to the U.S. Back to Square One. I didn’t know anybody and didn’t know what to do with my little book. One day, I walked into the Book Lady Bookstore in Savannah and asked if they’d take my book. It was the beginning of my life in America. The store manager personally recommended the book to some customers. I began meeting who’s who of the local writers’ network and making friends. The second book, Move Over, Bird, came along in 2019 and, I was invited to give a reading at the Book Lady Bookstore in March 2020.

Then, Covid came. There’s a lot to reflect on and think about into the future from the experience of 2020 – 2021. Personally, however, by branching out to zooming & video making many of us overrode the Covid restrictions. As a result, workshops, readings, and book sales reached different parts of the country.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I write in English, my second language – so the path to publications and acceptances was a meandering one which is the case for any writer but perhaps more so due to the added unfamiliarity. There were many people who supported and encouraged me — without their endorsement, I probably couldn’t have started what I am doing. The March 2020 reading was the last day of pre-Covid time. I couldn’t thank enough for the friends and families who braved the uncertainty.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a writer and translator of poetry. My poems, translations, and book reviews were published in various journals, including Cha: The Asian Literary Journal, The Museum of American Poetics, Star*Light Science Fiction Poetry Association, Shanghai Literary, and MatchBook by Small Fire Press. In addition, the Belletrist Magazine of Seattle nominated my poem “End” for The Pushcart prize in 2018. It is a big deal for a writer like me, so I was grateful for the nomination.

I often give poetry workshops at places like the Pat Conroy Literary Festival, Harvard Art Museum, Shanghai Literary Festival, and many local nursing homes and schools. My workshops are based on haiku and renku and are hands-on: Participants have a lot of fun. I am also an organizer of a pop-up bookstore, An Island Bookshelf, on Hilton Head Island.

I love swimming and go to the swimming pool or the ocean on most days. However, during the pool closure in 2020, we often swam in May River, a tidal river. It was a different experience and watching the sunrise while being carried by the tide was exquisite.

What are your plans for the future?
I am convinced that writers need a circle of writers and other artists around them. An Island Bookshelf – a pop-up bookstore – I started in February 2020 on Hilton Head Island (one-hour away from Savannah) is still in the nascent stage of a community building. Used books centering on poetry, short-stories and memoirs and new books written by local authors are for sale a the store located in the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. Working with other art & culture groups and the support of the town’s Office of Cultural Affairs, we organized two successful literary events (Roger Pinckney of Daufuskie Island and E. Ethelbert Miller from Washington D.C. ) And, of course, I will keep writing entertaining, beautiful and at times thought-provoking but short poems.

Pricing:

• “Today, Fish Only” (Math Paper Press) by Miho Kinnas available at the Book Lady Bookstore ([email protected]) – $16
• “Move Over, Bird” (Math Paper Press) by Miho Kinnas available at the Book Lady Bookstore ([email protected]) – $16

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: Miho Kinnas
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeiMxAp-Xgc&t=1579s

Image Credits
Georgina Smith