Playwright Jeremy O. Harris recently shared a detailed account of the 23 books he read during his 23-day imprisonment in Japan. He described how the quiet of his cell contrasted sharply with his typically busy life, leading him to immerse himself in literature.

Early Reads: History and Escapism

Harris began with The Rise of Modern Japan by William G. Beasley and Inferno by Dan Brown. He noted the jail’s library offered a diverse selection, with rich options for Japanese speakers including anime and engaging novels. For English readers, the choices were more limited, consisting of self-help books, Bibles, and what he termed “airport slop.”

He praised Beasley’s book as a “deep dive” into Japanese history, providing crucial context for his situation. Harris learned about the unequal treaties that subjected foreigners to Japanese law and the events surrounding the Treaty of Versailles. He also expressed admiration for Dan Brown’s storytelling, even suggesting a potential adaptation of Inferno.

Gifts from Friends and Re-Evaluations

Friends visiting Harris while he was filming in Okinawa provided several books, including Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami, Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro, and Love Is a Dog From Hell by Charles Bukowski. He found his perspective on Murakami had shifted with maturity, while Ishiguro’s novel and Bukowski’s poetry both deeply resonated with him.

Harris reflected on previously dismissing Bukowski due to youthful pretension, now offering a “formal apology” for his earlier judgment. He realized he now understood and appreciated the poet’s raw honesty.

“Read for Work” and Literary Classics

Harris’s business partner sent PDFs of several books to keep him on track with work, including Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith, Oreo by Fran Ross, and works by Garth Greenwell. He described Greenwell’s erotic literary fiction as a “godsend” during his period of enforced intimacy deprivation.

A Dive into English Literature

A gift of The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vol. 1 proved transformative. Harris read The Book of Margery Kempe, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, Epigrams and the Forest by Ben Jonson, Oroonoko by Aphra Behn, and Othello by William Shakespeare.

He highlighted the significance of reading Equiano and Behn in tandem, noting their contrasting perspectives on slavery. He also praised Kempe’s autobiography as a “psychedelic” and groundbreaking work.

Embassy Support and Final Reads

The U.S. embassy provided A Handful of Stars by Dana Stabenow and Starseed by Spider and Jeanne Robinson, both science fiction novels. Harris also received Gifted by Suzumi Suzuki and Intimate Distance: Twenty-Five Years of Photographs by Todd Hido from his friends, praising Hido’s work as “Lynchian” and deeply impactful.

Returning to Japanese Literature

Harris revisited authors he’d studied in college, including Kenzaburō Ōe and Yukio Mishima. He specifically sought out Ōe’s short story “Prize Stock” and lauded Mishima’s Forbidden Colors as a masterpiece of queer literature. He also appreciated receiving a compilation of news articles to stay informed.

A Final Push: Language Learning

During his final week, Harris received Fun & Easy by Nihongo, a Japanese vocabulary book, which he credited with rapidly improving his language skills. He highly recommended it as an effective language learning tool.