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David Mura

デイビッド・ムラ

Deibitto Mura

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1952 （Chicago, Illinois, United States）
Nationality
American
Languages
English
Residence History
Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States

Career

Occupations
author, poet, novelist, playwright, critic, performance artist, educator
Active Years
1975-
Affiliations
University of Minnesota (faculty/visitor), St. Olaf College (faculty), The Loft Literary Center (teacher/lecturer), University of Oregon (faculty)

Education

Grinnell College
Degree: BA
Country: United States
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Creative Writing
Degree: MFA
Country: United States
Holds an MFA in creative writing

Awards

Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Writers Award
1994
Organization: Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Foundation
Result: 受賞
National Endowment for the Arts - Literature Fellowship
1993
Organization: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
Result: 受賞
National Endowment for the Arts - Literature Fellowship
1985
Organization: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
Result: 受賞
National Poetry Series (winner)
1988
Organization: National Poetry Series
Result: 受賞
Discovery/The Nation Award
1987
Organization: The Nation / Discovery
Result: 受賞
U.S. - Japan Creative Artist Fellowship
1984
Organization: U.S.-Japan Creative Artist Fellowship
Result: 受賞
Loft-McKnight Awards
Organization: Loft-McKnight
Result: 受賞（複数回）
Minnesota State Arts Board grants
Organization: Minnesota State Arts Board
Result: 助成

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Last Incantations

2014 Poetry

A collection of poems reflecting on family history, memory, and identity; contains contemplative late poems.

memoryfamilyidentity

Angels for the Burning

2004 Poetry

A poetry collection dealing with personal and historical trauma, including themes of Japanese immigrant history and self-exploration.

traumaimmigrationhistory

The Colors of Desire

1995 Poetry

A collection exploring desire and human relationships. Winner of the Carl Sandburg Literary Award.

desirerelationships

After We Lost Our Way

1989 Poetry

An early poetry collection mixing personal exploration with social themes.

self-explorationsociety

Famous Suicides of the Japanese Empire

2008 Novel

A novel that examines historical memory and identity related to the Japanese Empire, exploring intersections of history and the personal.

historymemoryidentity

Where the Body Meets Memory

1995 Memoir / Nonfiction

A memoir exploring race, sexuality, and identity, and the relation between self and family history.

memoirracesexuality

Turning Japanese: Memoirs of a Sansei

1991 Memoir / Nonfiction

A memoir of a third-generation Japanese American exploring self and family history. Winner of the Josephine Miles Book Award and listed among New York Times Notable Books.

Japanese American experiencefamily historyidentity

A Stranger’s Journey: Race, Identity & Narrative Craft in Writing

2018 Literary craft / Criticism

A book on writing craft and narrative arguing for a more inclusive understanding of craft that addresses race and identity.

writing craftracenarrative

The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives

2023 Criticism

A critical work examining racial myths in American narratives, offering critique of race and storytelling.

race criticismnarrative

Song for Uncle Tom, Tonto, and Mr. Moto: Poetry and Identity

2002 Criticism / Essays

A collection of critical essays on poetry and identity, discussing race and representation.

poetryrepresentationrace

Bibliography

  • A Male Grief: Notes on Pornography and Addiction
  • Turning Japanese: Memoirs of a Sansei
  • Where the Body Meets Memory: An Odyssey of Race, Sexuality and Identity
  • After We Lost Our Way
  • The Colors of Desire
  • Angels for the Burning
  • The Last Incantations
  • Famous Suicides of the Japanese Empire
  • Song for Uncle Tom, Tonto, and Mr. Moto: Poetry and Identity
  • A Stranger’s Journey: Race, Identity & Narrative Craft in Writing
  • The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives

Adaptations

  • Slowly, This (film; written & featuring David Mura; dir. Arthur Jafa)
  • Relocations (performance selections; dir. Mark Tang)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lyrical and memoiristic poetic styleessayistic blending of criticism and personal experiencenarratives that intersect history and personal memory
Recurring Motifs
memoryfamily historyJapanese American experiencerace and identitywar and internment

Legacy

David Mura is an author and poet known for exploring Japanese American experience, memory, and identity across poetry, memoir, fiction, and criticism. With awards such as NEA fellowships and the Lila Wallace Writers Award, he has made significant contributions to discussions of race and narrative in contemporary American literature.

Archives

  • Minnesota Historical Society (holds related materials)

Quotes

  • His writings explore the themes of race, identity, and history.
    Source: Wikipedia: David Mura (summary)

Trivia

  • His father changed the family name from "Uemura" to "Mura".
  • His parents were interned during World War II.
  • Turning Japanese: Memoirs of a Sansei won the Josephine Miles Book Award and was listed as a New York Times Notable Book.
  • He communicates via social media and his website (davidmura.com).