Why We Write

It took Janet Pocorobba 15 years to write "The Fourth String: A Memoir of Sensei and Me," a biography of a non-traditional Japenese sensei teaching a very traditional instrument and an autobiography of the author's immersion into Japanese culture. In this episode, she talks about the challenges of writing about real people and how Japan changed her life. Janet teaches is the associate professor and associate director of Lesley University's MFA in Creative Writing program. Her work has been published in the Rumpus, Harvard Review, The Writer, Kyoto Journal, Indiana Review, The Journal, Provincetown Arts, Metropolis, American Athenaeum, and others. Jana Van der Veer conducts the interview. See a photo of Janet from her Japan days and hear her play the shamisen on our episode page.