Known to many as a travel writer, Pico Iyer is not so much a guide to foreign lands as he is a sage interpreter of our interior lives. His many books include Video Night in Kathmandu, The Lady and the Monk, and The Art of Stillness, a poetic investigation of the benefits of quiet contemplation and travel to “nowhere.” With his two newest works, Iyer turns his attention to Japan, his adopted home of thirty-two years. Autumn Light is a personal account of grief and family. A Beginner’s Guide to Japan looks outward, drawing on readings, reflections, and conversations to illuminate aspects of Japanese culture. On October 10, 2019, Pico Iyer came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco, to be interviewed by Dan Stone.