Conversations with Shotetsu

Shtetsu monogatari was written by a disciple of Shtetsu (13811459), whom many scholars regard as the last great poet of the courtly tradition. The work provides information about the practice of poetry during the 14th and 15th centuries, including anecdotes about famous poets, advice on how to treat certain standard topics, and lessons in etiquette when attending or participating in poetry contests and gatherings. But unlike the many other works of that time that stop at that level, Shtetsus contributions to medieval aesthetics gained prominence, showing him as a worthy heirboth as poet and thinkerto the legacy of the great poet-critic Fujiwara no Teika (11621241). The last project of the late Robert H. Brower, Conversations with Shtetsu provides a translation of the complete Nihon koten bungaku taikei text, as edited by Hisamatsu Sen'ichi. Steven D. Carter has annotated the translation and provided an introduction that details Shtetsus life, his place in the poetic circles of his day, and the relationship of his work to the larger poetic tradition of medieval Japan. Conversations with Shtetsu is important reading for anyone interested in medieval Japanese literature and culture, in poetry, and in aesthetics. It provides a unique look at the literary world of late medieval Japan.