Shirabyōshi dancers in the diary of Lady Sarashina

August 26, 2022

For a very small and specific part of the novel, I decided to research the role of a specific kind of dancers in medieval Japan, called shirabyōshi. As it happens, their role and characteristics are highly romanticized (i.e., objectified) by male authors of the time: they’re often portrayed as femmes fatales and seductresses, and this is marginally what this part of the novel is about.

In order to look for better sources, we need to be sexist and look for female contemporary authors, and one of the most relevant is lady Sarashima, the daughter of a provincial governor who writes a sort of retrospective diary. In today’s post on my Patreon, we read a snippet of her night encounter with three travelling entertainers.

note to self

Namárië

Non Teresa ma romarie, sempre, sempre romarie, come nella community, così nel quotidiano di un pranzo autunnale, nell’intimità di un addobbo natalizio, nella serenità di una passeggiata nei boschi. Silenziosa come un macigno, piccola e potente come un sigaro toscano, con giudizi svelti e pesanti,

November 7, 2025 5:07 pm

architecture, engineering and construction

ACC Tutorial: Schedules on the Run

I think it’s plain to see that there are very few things being actually developed within Autodesk, right now. Revit needs a total rewrite (and it’s not happening), Navisworks is a zombie crawling from version to version and it hasn’t been updated in decades, and

November 7, 2025 9:00 am

books and literature

Fairytale Friday – The Mizgir

In the olden years, long long ago, with the spring-tide fair and the summer’s heat there came on the world distress and shame. For gnats and flies began to swarm, biting folks and letting their warm blood flow. Then the Spider appeared, the hero bold,

November 7, 2025 1:00 am