I usually have some requirements for my posts. They usually have to be of at least a certain length. But this is special.
So
Ayatsuji Yukito,
Abiko Takemaru,
Maya Yutaka and Madoi Ban (Van Madoy) walk into a bar... The beginning of a bad joke? No, it is an accurate description of the welcome party for the new members of the
Kyoto University Mystery Circle held last Friday. Apparently, these insanely famous OBs occasionally drop by at parties of the Mystery Club. Or they come to play
mahjong. Especially
mahjong, it seems. Anyhow, the moment Abiko Takemaru and Maya Yutaka entered the room was just
fantastic, with every discussion stopping abruptly. The same of course when Ayatsuji Yukito entered, who came a bit later. Words can not even begin to describe the
aura of the table of these OBs in the restaurant. Just sitting in the same room was awesome. Even though we all tried to avert our eyes in fear of blinding ourselves of the light radiating from that table.
And I even had a short chat with Ayatsuji-sensei as he signed my copy of
Ningyoukan no Satsujin ("
The Puppet House Murders") I luckily had with me (some other members ran out to buy books to get them signed). And there is no greater motivation, nor greater pressure for writing a thesis on New Orthodox detective fiction, than being told by the person who started the New Orthodox movement that he wants to read your thesis when it is finished. Especially if he even mentions you on his twitter-feed.
I guess I have to write a
good thesis now, right?
Boasting post much? ;) But yeah, I would also make sure to get books signed by Maya and Ayatsuji... And I hope I can somehow convert the topic of my thesis so that I'd actually write about detective/mystery fiction after all. Reading in Saito Satomi's thesis combined with what I already knew from Kawana and Silver really opened a new perspective to me. I'd still have to sell that idea to my advisors and supervisors though...
ReplyDeleteI think I'm allowed a bit of boasting in this case ;P
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