Five Questions for Marcus Bird

03 Oct 2010 24 Comments

by gaijinmama in Contributors, fiction, nightlife, Tokyo

Marcus Bird, author of the short story “Gaijin Girl” which appears in Yomimono #15, is a writer, creative-entrepreneur and designer. Raised in Kingston, Jamaica, and now living in Tokyo, he specializes in T-shirt designs, web work, cartoons, and social media. In 2009 he launched his design company, which is a fusion of Jamaican and Japanese culture. He has done television commercials, modeling, and video-editing. Here, Marcus answers five questions about writing and other stuff. 

1. What was the inspiration for your story?

Two things in particular. First was an image that was stuck in my mind when I first moved to Japan. In the afternoon a day or two after I arrived, I saw a woman wearing a black one piece skirt, with Banana yellow high heel shoes. The second connecting thought came much later. I was living in a small town in Japan at the time, and I noticed that there were several well-educated, well-traveled Japanese women that only dated foreign men. I used this observation to create the mythos behind my main character. The name of the story itself is a play on words. “Gaijin Girl” is loosely written to mean “Gaijin’s Girl”. So I started the story chatting about the yellow shoes… and just filled in the blanks from there.

 
2. Describe your writing space.

I’m not sure how to answer that. *laughs*. I wrote Gaijin Girl in between teaching classes on a busy day at a Japanese Junior high school. However, to give a more comprehensive answer, I have to admit I never have an ideal space in my mind. I read Stephen King’s On Writing and he mentioned a quiet room with no distractions. My mind is usually too busy for absolute silence. I can write for hours listening to a Gorillaz album on repeat in a quiet room, or in a noisy Starbucks listening to reggae music. Over time my “writing space” seems to be a place where I can sit comfortably, while listening to some sort of house, or semi-relaxed music. But I wrote a lot of short stories in between teaching classes, or jotting down notes on pieces of paper and patching them up at home while Entourage is playing in the background. I guess I need a little white noise to focus when writing a lot… but once i’m amped about the project, I tend to squeeze in bits at work, at home, on the train etc.
 
3. What are you working on now?

A project called “Guest House”. Take a guy chasing a creative dream. Put him into a lavish guest house in central Tokyo with a crazy landlord and an amped up rotation of frisky foreigners and see what ensues. 

 
4. What’s the last book you’ve read?

I just finished The Valkyries by Paulo Coelho.  He is definitely a very deep writer.
 
5.What is your favorite place in Japan?

Hmm. I lived in a quiet town before, with temples and chill people that say “Ohayo Gozaimasu!” when you walk past… but the pulse and energy of a buzzing metropolis makes me more comfortable than lots of trees and easy access to the beach. I’d have to say Tokyo, especially since I live there.

You can read Marcus Bird’s story in the latest issue of Yomimono. Purchase a copy here.

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