October 13, 2019
Dear Saburo,
I am so grateful that you are a part of this letter project. Thank you for taking the time to write to me, to our community.
As I reflect on all of the ways we’ve been in community together through the years, I remember interviewing you and Marion at your home, so many years ago, and learning about your experiences in camp for the first time. That was the first time I gained a deeper sense of the harsh injustice you (and so many) endured; the stories you told me then made their way into my poetic consciousness and, eventually, into my “stone poems.” I’m grateful for this.
I am also remembering your presence at so many of my readings over the years—at UJCC, or Fresno State, or local Fresno coffee shops, when I read the poems your life inspired. Thank you for supporting me in these ways. I can still see your face in the audience, listening.
And, I will always remember hearing you tell your story—with such courage and emotion—at the Fresno State library in front of a packed audience of people. The crowd was rapt, still, hanging on to your every word, as you told about your sister’s life, her resilience and accomplishments. Thank you for sharing her life, through your magnificent words.
You and Marion have been trailblazing leaders in our community, traveling the country to stand for justice through storytelling and connecting across cultures. Your leadership inspires us all.
Sab, what has been on your mind these days? Your mind, your heart? Is there a story you’d like us know, one you haven’t told yet? Are there words and feelings, hopes, dreams you’d like to pass along to us, the sansei, yonsei, and gosei generations? How can we carry forward the legacy of your storytelling?
With love and gratitude,
Brynn