And the Girls Worried Terribly

By Dot Devota

Why did the girls worry terribly? The title was found in Oliver Statler's book, The Black Ship Scroll. This has been an important book to Devota's partner, Brandon Shimoda. A caption beneath a sketch of two women in kimonos reads: "The foreigners said they wanted to take pictures of beautiful Japanese ladies, so the government officials ordered that some of the singing girls be chosen as subjects. Later a rumor spread that anyone who was photographed would die within three years, and the girls worried terribly." There was a deep-rooted superstition about having one's portrait made: the soul might leave to take up residence in the "new self," causing the fatal "shadow-sickness."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1934819328
• ISBN13: 9781934819326
• Release Date: December 2014
• Publisher: Noemi Press
• Length: 80 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.1" x 8.1"