John Okada: The Life and Rediscovered Work of the Author of No-No Boy

by Frank Abe (editor), Greg Robinson, Floyd Cheung

No-No Boy, John Okada's only published novel, centers on a Japanese American who refuses to fight for the country that incarcerated him and his people in World War II and, upon release from federal prison after the war, is cast out by his divided community. In 1957, the novel faced a similar rejection until it was rediscovered and reissued in 1976 to become a celebrated classic of American literature. As a result of Okada's untimely death at age forty-seven, the author's life and other works have remained obscure.

This compelling collection offers the first full-length examination of Okada's development as an artist, placing recently discovered writing by Okada alongside essays that reassess his lasting legacy. Meticulously researched biographical details, insight from friends and relatives, and a trove of intimate photographs illuminate Okada's early life in Seattle, military service, and careers as a public librarian and a technical writer in the aerospace industry. This volume is an essential companion to No-No Boy.

Genres: Nonfiction, Japan, Biography

365 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

FRANK ABE is lead author of a graphic novel, WE HEREBY REFUSE: Japanese American Resistance to Wartime Incarceration (Chin Music Press, 2021), named a Finalist in Creative Nonfiction for the Washington State Book Award. He won an American Book Award as co-editor of JOHN OKADA: The Life & Rediscovered Work of the Author of No-No Boy (University of Washington Press, 2018), in which he authored the first-ever biography of Okada and traced the origins of his novel. He is co-editor of a new anthology, The Literature of Japanese American Incarceration, from Penguin Classics.

Abe wrote, produced, and directed the award-winning PBS documentary Conscience and the Constitution on the largest organized resistance in the camps, and with writer Frank Chin helped organize the first-ever “Day of Remembrance” in Seattle in 1978. He was an original member of Chin’s Asian American Theater Workshop in San Francisco and studied at the American Conservatory Theater.

Reviews

[Frank Abe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume is an essential companion to No-No Boy, John Okada’s only published novel, which centers on a Japanese American who refuses to fight for the country that incarcerated him and his people in World War II and, upon release from federal prison after the war, is cast out by his divided community. In 1957, the novel faced a similar rejection until it was rediscovered and reissued in 1976 to become a celebrated classic of American literature. As a result of Okada’s untimely death at age forty-seven, the author’s life and other work have remained obscure.

The Editors: Frank Abe is a journalist and producer of the PBS documentary Conscience and the Constitution. Greg Robinson is professor of history at Université du Québec à Montréal whose most recent book is The Great Unknown: Japanese American Sketches. Floyd Cheung is professor of English language and literature and American studies at Smith College and editor of early Asian American literary works by H. T. Tsiang, Sadakichi Hartmann, and others.

[Marleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frank Abe, Greg Robinson and Floyd Cheung have written a book that explores the man behind the seminal work about the Japanese American experience during WWII. Okada's book was initially published in Japan and released to American audiences and quickly went out of print. Frank Chin was a college student trying to find all the books he written by Asian Americans and he a couple of other Asian writers discovered "No-No Boy."
The book explores Okada's history and his development as a writer. It also includes other works that have been compiled into this volume. At his untimely death, he had been working on another book about the Issei. His widow had offered his papers to a university but they declined. All of the papers were destroyed when she wanted to clean out his office.

[Tina Neyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read No No Boy, the story of John Okada's life pre- and post- World War II is an enlightening read for anyone wanting to understand the Japanese American experience.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 and a half stars.
Very timely, though written half a century ago.
A realistic depiction of racism in the Seattle area post-WWII.
Sad and compelling.