#meredith pillow my beloved

[silkchifffon]

Are you even a Swiftie if you don’t sleep on Target Anti Hero sheets?

[dropkickspindle]

I have been on-and-off obsessed with Heian Japanese literature since about 4th grade, when my mom got me a picture book about various historical women. One of the women featured in the book was Murasaki Shikibu, author of the Tale of Genji and the Murasaki Shikibu Nikki (Diary). She was a court lady-in-waiting who, in between serving one of two rival empresses, wrote what is often touted as the first ever novel, or at least first ever psychological novel. She was writing during a time of great change and innovation in written Japanese, where the kana syllabary offered writers, mostly women (men tended to use the formal Chinese script that was used in court documents), an easier writing system to use for works in Japanese. Another court lady, Sei Shonagon, in the court of the second rival empress, wrote the Pillow Book, a collection of observations, lists of poetic themes or things that annoyed or delighted the author, memories of better times and funny anecdotes. Izumi Shikibu wrote about her affair with her late lover's brother, and the woman known only as Michitsuna no Haha (Michitsuna's mother; most nobles in this time period did not use their names, but referred to themselves as each other by court ranks or jobs they or other relatives held) wrote about the loneliness and distress of a forgotten wife in a polygynous society. It's a really unique time period in history, and created a lot of great works. In translation they're best read if you really, really like footnotes. The Pillow Book (Meredith McKinney's translation is my favorite English translation) is the most accessible, imo, a look into a work that's half mean girl burn book and half elegy for a woman and a court and politics that were, for Sei, the golden days. Tl;dr I love Heian literature.

In Heian times, love letters (a frequent subject in the works of the time) were knotted after being written, as opposed to folded official or platonic correspondence. Being able to compose poetry was an essential skill in the court, and a precursor of the haiku was frequently used, with 5 syllables-7-syllables-5-7-7 as the format. For a project I have on the back burner I needed to learn to write this style of waka. I also have a huge collection of ink samples that I do eventually want to get through, so several years ago I started writing Heian-style love notes to my beloved, based on the names of ink samples and written in said ink. I also stripe the opposite side of the poem's paper in the fountain pen ink I've used, so they're pretty and colorful and help empty out my sample vials. I've been doing this intermittently for the past several years, whenever the mood takes me. And today it took me through ten poems, which was nice-- it's been awhile since the words have flowed.

(I'm not including any of the poems here, but the Spousewife loves them and that's what's important)

Inks used today, from left to right, top to bottom:

Laban Athena Grey

Diamine Crimson

Private Reserve Black Cherry

Diamine Tyrian Purple

Pelikan Edelstein Mandarin

Ferris Wheel Press Freshly Squeezed Sunshine

Ferris Wheel Press Frivolous Lime

Sailor Man'yo Koke

3 Oysters Delicious Peacock Green

Van Dieman's Wilderness Azure Kingfisher

One day I will take a picture of the glass vase that we keep the finished knotted letters in, but we're in the middle of prepping for a move across the country. Anyway, this project has been a really nice way to marry my love for Heian literature, buying fountain pen inks, and my spouse.