Going Native. (Original writing and translation)

Going Native, which combines six original short stories and twelve poems by Sachiko Yoshihara translated from the Japanese, explores aspects of alienation. Adrift, unable to find a place for herself, the American narrator of the title story attempts to possess Japan by rushing headlong into the culture. "Official Executioner" is set in an alternative universe while "Starting Something" takes place in an American college dormitory, but the main characters in both stories all struggle with social structures which threaten them. In "Deadly In Black" the main character discovers that belonging to a defined subculture--that of punks and skinheads--although safe, does not allow for full development of her personality. In the translated poems, Yoshihara uses a blunt, rhythmic language, often treating the frustrations of women in the male-dominated Japanese society.