John Okada

No-No Boy, John OkadaΓÇÖs only published novel, centers on a Japanese American who refuses to fight for the country that incarcerated him and his people in World War II and, upon release from federal prison after the war, is cast out by his divided community. In 1957, the novel faced a similar rejection until it was rediscovered and reissued in 1976 to become a celebrated classic of American literature. As a result of OkadaΓÇÖs untimely death at age forty-seven, the authorΓÇÖs life and other works have remained obscure.
This compelling collection offers the first full-length examination of OkadaΓÇÖs development as an artist, placing recently discovered writing by Okada alongside essays that reassess his lasting legacy. Meticulously researched biographical details, insight from friends and relatives, and a trove of intimate photographs illuminate OkadaΓÇÖs early life in Seattle, military service, and careers as a public librarian and a technical writer in the aerospace industry. This volume is an essential companion to No-No Boy.