Books by Keith Howard

If the Shadowshine Reincarnation Centre exists it is merely a staging post on the way to Higher Things. A celestial sorting house with about the same efficiency (or lack of it) as any earthly administrative concern. Like a spider in his web, deep within the Shadowshine Auditorium, the Soul Searcher awaits the souls which bide their time in stasis cells, awaiting his summons. Each soul is decharacterized of its former mortal identity and sent packing for another lifetime of trial and tribulation. Without ceasing, the Soul Searcher reviews the endless procession of souls with unerring accuracy. This time they are mortals from Twentieth Century Earth ...

The ups and downs of life in menswear with all the amusing characters met on the way. Look in vain in Dunn's records for the people mentioned, the author has rechristened them all and spared their blushes. Keith Howard worked for Dunn & Company in London for over 50 years. This is his recollection of his years of service. Great for those nostalgic for the past.

Focussing on music traditions, these essays explore the policy, ideology and practice of preservation and promotion of East Asian intangible cultural heritage. For the first time, Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan - states that were amongst the first to establish legislation and systems for indigenous traditions - are considered together. Calls to preserve the intangible heritage have recently become louder, not least with increasing UNESCO attention. The imperative to preserve is, throughout the region, cast as a way to counter the perceived loss of cultural diversity caused by globalization, modernization, urbanization and the spread of the mass media. Four chapters - one each on China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan - incorporate a foundational overview of preservation policy and practice of musical intangible cultural heritage at the state level. These chapters are complemented by a set of chapters that explore how the practice of policy has impacted on specific musics, from Confucian ritual through Kam big song to the Okinawan sanshin. Each chapter is based on rich ethnographic data collected through extended fieldwork. The team of international contributors give both insider and outsider perspectives as they both account for, and critique, policy, ideology and practice in East Asian music as intangible cultural heritage.

Asks what Koreans consider makes music Korean, and how meaning is ascribed to musical creation. This book documents how identity has been negotiated by musicians, composers and audiences. It charts the development of the Korean music scene over the past several years.