Frank Abe's Blog

Here is the most detailed story yet from my recent talks on the links between wartime incarceration and the scourge of ICE abductions. You should read the story by Kai Curry online at the Northwest Asian Weekly, but it conveys so much that’s important, and so much has changed since I first spoke on this … Continue reading “One Bellevue, One Book:” the links between wartime incarceration and ICE abductions →

Audience is who we make theater for, and it was a privilege to have such a lively one witness the first staged reading of our new theatrical adaptation of John Okada’s No-No Boy at the Seattle Rep on Thursday, May 8. An earlier version of the script had a table reading for an invited audience … Continue reading First live audience for staged reading of “NO-NO BOY” adaptation →

Prepared remarks for a public talk presented April 22 at Wellesley College in the Pendleton Atrium: One year ago, when Elena Creef and I first discussed my speaking here, I never thought my talk would take such a dark turn. Then came the election. Elena asked me for a title for the program. By then, … Continue reading What Japanese American Wartime Incarceration Tells Us About Mass Deportation Today →

Prepared remarks for a public talk on “What Japanese American Wartime Incarceration Tells Us About Mass Deportation Today,” presented April 22 at the Wellesley College Pendleton Atrium: One year ago, when Elena Creef and I first discussed my speaking here, I never thought my talk would take such a dark turn. Then came the election. … Continue reading What Japanese American Wartime Incarceration Tells Us About Mass Deportations Today →

I’m grateful to the Seattle Rep and artistic director Dámaso Rodriguez for another opportunity to develop the script for this new stage adaptation of John Okada’s No-No Boy. Through its New Works program, the Rep is hosting a four-day workshop with live actors on the week of May 5. On the evening of the fourth … Continue reading Public reading set for “No-No Boy” work-in-progress →

I’m speaking April 22 at Wellesley College near Boston on the above topic, but this stunning poster design by Soe Lin Post of Wellesley deserves a post of its own. It brilliantly links the reports of ICE kidnappings and deportations that are rapidly escalating across the country with figures from our graphic novel, We Hereby … Continue reading This poster art for my public talk on April 22 says it all →

At the March 1 Lunar New Year banquet for the Seattle chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association, I was asked to say a few words as one of the chapter founders on its 40th anniversary. I felt I had to say what is apparent — that in the last six weeks our nation has … Continue reading The manufactured hysteria over diversity, equity, and inclusion →

Let me frame this post and the embedded podcast below by saying the issue here is not to shame the Pike Place Market Foundation for backing out of hosting the observance of this year’s Day of Remembrance in Seattle at the market stalls, which before the war were three-fourths occupied by Issei truck farmers from … Continue reading PODCAST: Complying in advance by canceling the Day of Remembrance →

Let me frame this post and the embedded podcast below by saying the issue here is not to shame the Pike Place Market Foundation for backing out of hosting the observance of this year’s Day of Remembrance in Seattle at the market stalls, which before the war were three-fourths occupied by Issei truck farmers from … Continue reading PODCAST: Complying in advance by canceling the Day of Remembrance in Seattle →

Before a packed house on February 2 at mam’s bookstore in Seattle Chinatown, I was honored to help launch Criminals, the debut novel by Ben Masaoka of Seattle of a postwar Japanese American family that was published after his recent death. Ben modeled his voice on that of another notable JA novelist, John Okada, and … Continue reading “Criminals,” a novel in the spirit of John Okada →