Llyn De Danaan
Education
Former Faculty, The Evergreen State College
Website
Biographical Note
LLyn De Danaan, emerita faculty, The Evergreen State College, writes fiction and non-fiction. Her most well known and acclaimed works are Conversations with the Inner Dog and Koans for the Inner Dog. A novel, Big Adventure on Moa Nui, was published summer of 2011. She has been a research consultant for Washington Indian tribes since 1991. Her non-fiction publications include many journal articles as well as social studies curricula, produced in collaboration with Indian educators and the Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction’s office. She was a recipient of the Washington State Historical Society’s Peace and Friendship award in recognition of her role in fostering an understanding of Washington’s cultural diversity. Her field work experience includes ethnographic studies of farm laborers in Yakima Valley, long term projects in Sarawak and Kelantan, Malaysia, and short term work in Thailand and Rajasthan, India. She collaborated in the documentation of Transylvanian winter ceremonials during a Fulbright fellowship in Romania 2006-2007. Her recent Mountain of Shell project focuses on the life and work of the Japanese and Japanese American community on Oyster Bay, Washington. This work was published, in part, by Columbia Magazine, Winter 2011-2012. Her nonfiction book, Katie Gale’s Tombstone: Landscape, Power, and Justice on 19th Century Oyster Bay will be published by University of Nebraska Press.
Publication Type(s)
Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry
Latest Publication Title
Mountain of Shell
Publication Excerpt
You think you know your body
but not really
Miyoko Sato
On a grey day in February 2010 Oyster Bay families shared sushi, hot tea, and a large cake. Oyster Bay Senryu and Friends was emblazoned on it with thick, daffodil yellow frosting. The Minegishi house had been, after many years of vacancy and vandalism, remodeled and was ready to be occupied by the family. Sue Kikuchi, Takeji Minegishi’s daughter, hosted the afternoon tea for the families, many of whom hadn’t seen each other since they were young. Abos from across the bay came, including Yukiko. Harry Sato represented the Sato family. Miyoko wasn’t feeling up to it. Others involved in the Mountain of Shell project, including Aki Motomatsu, a long time Oyster Bay resident and shellfish laborer were there. The “reunion” called to mind the senryu gatherings and parties so many years ago held on these grounds. People shared stories, studied photographs, and then, at the urging of Mary Abo, the poems came out and the readings began.