Who We're Reading When We're Reading Murakami by David Karashima

Author:David Karashima
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781593765903
Publisher: Soft Skull Press
Published: 2020-06-11T00:00:00+00:00

In Search of an Agent

In contrast to his early interest in finding an American publisher, Murakami initially seems to have had little interest in obtaining an agent. Jonathan Levi, who arranged the evening in the fall of 1989 where Murakami first met Andrew Wylie, observes that “while the notion of an editor translated well between both languages, the role of an agent was unclear to Murakami, since it wasn’t a Japanese concept.”75

But Murakami’s thinking seems to have shifted after landing in Princeton in 1991. Luke says that sometime during this period Murakami had asked him to serve as his agent but that he had declined. “I said that I’d do anything for him but I couldn’t because I didn’t have the contacts necessary to do a good job, but that I would advise him in getting a good agent.”76 Murakami says that he “might have” asked Luke to be his agent,77 but when I check with the Murakami office, they tell me that it was their understanding that Luke had been the one to suggest that he could serve as Murakami’s agent after first being informed of the Knopf offer.78 When I ask Luke about this, he tells me that he definitely did not suggest becoming Murakami’s agent. “What I might have done was offer to serve as a temporary go-between until Murakami found an agent, which is what I did.”79

On April 24, 1992, and at Murakami’s request, Luke faxed a brief note—not from the KI office but from his home in Hirō—to Sonny Mehta’s assistant at Knopf with the aim of “keeping the ball rolling” on the Knopf publication:

Dear Jessica:

Spring seems finally to have taken hold here. I can tell by the hayfever.

Just checking in. It’s been a bit. I don’t mean to prod at all, but want to be sure that all’s well. Please get in touch at the above fax number if there’s any question.

All best to you,

Sincerely,

Elmer Luke80

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