Book Launch: Words That Last by Keiko Honda

Date & Time

Sunday, November 29, 2026
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Fee

Free. Limited capacity. Please register.

An Afternoon of Zuihitsu, Lightness, and What Endures

Join author Keiko Honda for an afternoon centered on her new essay collection, Words That Last (Caitlin Press). Written in the tradition of zuihitsu (随筆) — the thousand-year-old Japanese form pioneered by Sei Shōnagon, meaning "following the brush" —the collection wanders through loss, body memories, and everyday observations without forcing life into rigid conclusions.

Honda, a former cancer epidemiologist turned writer, draws on Bashō's principle of karumi (軽み) — lightness — alongside yoin (余韻, resonance) and mono no aware (物の哀れ, the beauty of what fades), exploring what it means to carry a life with presence, rather than grasping at it.

Honda will read from the collection, discuss what drew her to zuihitsu over the conventional narrative arc, and open the floor for questions. Copies of Words That Last will be available for purchase on-site, followed by a book signing. Light refreshments will be served.

 

“Keiko Honda is a rare writer who skillfully, yet quietly, draws us into various forms of loss with intimates and people with whom she works and has met. Surprising. Tender. Exquisitely written, quietly illuminating, you will read this collection more than once. It is a companion.”

—Betsy Warland, Author of lost lagoon/lost in thought

 

A Japanese lady dressed in black smiling with her arms crossed.

Keiko Honda

Keiko Honda is a scientist, writer, community organizer and painter. She holds a PhD in international community health from New York University, but when she suddenly contracted a rare autoimmune disease that confined her to a wheelchair for life, she had to leave her career in research at Columbia University in New York. After moving to Vancouver in 2009, Keiko started hosting artist salons, for which she was awarded the City of Vancouver’s Remarkable Women award in 2014. Shortly thereafter, she founded the Vancouver Arts Colloquium Society to bridge generations and cultures through the arts and to offer members of marginalized communities in Vancouver opportunities for artistic self-discovery. She teaches the aesthetics of co-creation in the Liberal Arts and 55+ Program at Simon Fraser University. She lives in Vancouver, BC, and enjoys watercolour painting and hosting her salons.